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Title: FIRST REPORTS OF AN UNUSUAL AND LITTLE KNOWN ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGAL GENUS FROM THE NEW WORLD

Author
item Humber, Richard
item TANZINI, MARCEL - UNIV SAO PAULO BRAZIL
item ALVES, SERGIO - UNIV SAO PAULO BRAZIL

Submitted to: International Coloquim on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/30/2002
Publication Date: 8/15/2002
Citation: HUMBER, R.A., TANZINI, M.R., ALVES, S.B. FIRST REPORTS OF AN UNUSUAL AND LITTLE KNOWN ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGAL GENUS FROM THE NEW WORLD. INTERNATIONAL COLOQUIM ON INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY AND MICROBIAL CONTROL. 2002.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Several collections of entomopathogenic fungi from Brazil have been found to be referable to a little known genus described from Russia. Borisov and Tarasov (1999. Mikologiya i Fitopatologia 33[4]: 248-256) described a new genus and species, EVLACHOVAEA KINTRISCHICA, from alder beetle, AGELASTICA ALNI (Coleoptera.: Chrysomelidae) for a fungus with conidiophores bearing clusters of PAECILOMYCES-like, flask-shaped conidiogenous cells and dry chains of mussel- or wedge-shaped conidia. Unlike in PAECILOMYCES, the conidia are produced obliquely at the apex of the conidiogenous cell, and each successive conidia are usually produced in differing orientations thus resulting in conidial chains with a zipper- or ribbon-like appearance. The Brazilian collections of his fungus have ovoid to short-cylindrical conidia 4.2 ± 0.5 x 2.0 ± 0.3 µm (range: 2.9-6.0 x 1.4-3.1 µm), and an average length/width ratio of 2.1 ± 0.4 (range: 1.24-3.1). All of the cultures grow sparsely with little aerial mycelium on cornmeal agar, and more luxuriantly and with more aerial mycelium on quarter-strength Sabouraud dextrose agar + yeast extract; none of the cultures has been observed to produce distinctive pigments. To date, this fngus has been confirmed from a probable species of CHIROMYZA (Diptera: Stratio-myidae) from Lavras (Minas Gerais), from BRASSOLIS SAPHORAE (Lepidoptera: Brassolidae) from both Muju (Para) and Aracaju (Sergipe), and from SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Londrina (Parana).