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Title: THREE SPECIES OF HYPOCRELLA WITH LARGE STROMATA PATHOGENIC ON SCALE-INSECTS

Author
item HYWEL-JONE, NIGEL - BANGKOK THAILAND
item Samuels, Gary

Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/29/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fungi have untapped potential as biological control agents in sustainable agricultural systems, yet their use is hindered by lack of systematic knowledge. Many potential biocontrol fungi infect insects in tropical regions. This paper describes and illustrates three species of fungi in both their sexual and asexual reproducing states. These fungi attack scale insects on bamboo and wood in both the Neotropics and the Old World tropics. In addition, these fungi belong to a group of fungi that is being investigated as a source of useful pharmaceuticals. This work will be used by those searching for novel genetic resources both as a source of pharmatceuticals and to serve as biological control agents that may result in the reduced use of chemical insecticides.

Technical Abstract: Three species of Hypocrella characterized by large stromata and living on scaled-insects are described or redescribed. Two rarely reported species, H. gaertneriana and H. schizostachyi, are associated with bamboo scale- insects and are redescribed from South America and Thailand, respectively. The new species H. africana is described from scale-insects on wood in Africa. A hyphomycetous anamorph with enteroblastic conidiogenous cells and two different conidial morphologies developed in cultures derived from Thai material of H. schizostachyi. These records and observations are put in the context of currently accepted Hypocrella taxonomy.