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Title: HETEROVESICULA COWANI N. G., N. SP. (HETEROVESICULIDAE N. FAM.), A MICROSPORIDIAN PARASITE OF MORMON CRICKETS, ANABRUS SIMPLEX HALDEMAN, 1852 (ORTHOPTERA: TETTIGONIIDAE)

Author
item LANGE CARLOS E - CEPAVE LA PLATA ARGENTINA
item MACVEAN CHARLES - UNIV DEL VALLE GUATEMALA
item HENRY JOHN E - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item STREETT DOUGLAS A - 5432-10-00

Submitted to: Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/5/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Exploration for and introduction of predators, parasites and pathogens that kill agricultural pests has been the backbone of classical biological control. With the discovery of each new pathogen, a description is required before any future research on the pathogen. We describe a new pathogen found infecting the Mormon cricket. This is necessary because the pathogen appears potentially useful for managing Mormon crickets and should be of interest to land managers.

Technical Abstract: Heterovesicula cowani, n. g., n. sp., is a dimorphic microsporidium, is described from the adipose tissue of the Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex Haldeman. Proliferation of the microsporidium is by karyokinesis of uninucleate and binucleate cells to form binucleate and tetranucleate cells, respectively, which undergo binary fission (merogony). Ultimately, meronts undergo karyokinesis without subsequent cytokinesis producing spherical multinucleate plasmodia that are transitional to 2 types of sporogony. Transitional to disporoblastic sporogony, a fragile interfacial envelope delaminates from the plasmodium concurrently with morphogenesis to a monofiliform plasmodium concurrently with morphogenesis to a monofiliform plasmodium consisting of fusiform binucleate diplokaryotic sporonts. These undergo karyokinesis to form tetranucleate diplokaryotic sporonts that undergo cytokinesis during disintegration of the plasmodium into isolated binucleate sporonts. Transitional to octosporoblastic sporogony, multinucleate plasmodia disintegrate into short monofiliform plasmodia of diplokaryotic sporonts which then segregate while undergoing gradual nuclear disassociation (haplosis by nuclear disassociation). These undergo 2 sequences of karyokinesis and subsequent multiple fission to form 8 uninucleate (haploid) sporoblasts in a fusiform arrangement within a persistent envelope. Binucleate spores are ovocylindrical, about 5.4 x 1.7 um (fresh), with an isofilar polar filament singly coiled about 11 turns. Uninucleate spores are ovoid to slightly pyriform, 4.0 x 1.7 um (fresh), with a isofilar filament singly coiled about 9 turns. A new family, Heterovesculidae, is proposed for the new genus.