Diversity of acaropathogenic fungi in Poland and other European countries

Abstract

The occurrence, species diversity and some aspects of taxonomical affinity and host selectivity of acaropathogenic fungi associated with phytophagous, saprotrophic and predacious mites in Poland and other European countries were investigated on wild and cultivated plants, in insect feeding sites under the bark and in decayed wood. From among 33 species of fungi affecting mites only five species of Entomophthorales were separated and the most numerous were Neozygites floridana mostly on Tetranychus urticae, N. abacaridis on a few eriophyid species, and Conidiobolus coronatus attacking gamasid mites most frequently of the genus Dendrolaelaps. The most frequent mite pathogens occurring in mite communities on plants and in wood infested by insects were of the genus Hirsutella. Until now 13 of their form-species have been recognized in these habitats, but only H. kirchneri, H. necatrix and H. thompsonii (including its variety synnematosa) can be treated as exclusive oligophagous pathogens of phytophagous mites, though their potential host range seems to embrace only selected eriophyid or tarsonemid mites. Taxonomical differentiation of fungal strains was based on close morphological observations and molecular analysis of ITS region sequences. Two new species of acaropathogenic fungi were described in these studies. Hirsutella danubiensis sp. nov. was found in the tetranychid T. urticae, whereas H. vandergeesti sp. nov. affected phytoseiid mites of the genera Amblyseius, Neoseiulus, Seiulus and Typhlodromus, and the tarsonemid Tarsonemus lacustris.

Detecting DNA of novel fungal pathogens using ResNets and a curated fungi-hosts data collection

“…Similarly, we consulted the literature on animal [64,66,[75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93] and plant pathogens [85,[94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101][102][103][104] and linked the results to the respective species TaxIDs wherever possible. Further, we accessed the Fungal Databases of the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).…”

Manejo del ácaro Aceria litchii (Acari: Eriophyidae) en Litchi chinensis

“…Entomopathogenic fungi are recommended for the biological control of other mites Singh 2002, 2008;Alves et al 2005;Fernando et al 2007;Paz et al 2007;Edgington et al 2008;Gerson et al 2008). Entomopathogenic fungi presence and impacts on Eriophyidae mites were reviewed (McCoy 1996;Van der Geest et al 2000;Balazy et al 2008) and they can contribute to A. litchi management programs.…”

Preliminary studies of fungi in the Biebrza National Park (NE Poland). I. Micromycetes

“…From among 11 species of anamorphic Hypocreales (Ascomycota) affecting arthropods in investigated parts of the Biebrza National Park, two have been recognized as pathogens of spiders (Gibellula leiopus and G. pulchra) and two were pathogenic to mites (Hirsutella danubiensis and H. kirchneri). H. danubiensis is very rare and known only from single localities in Poland and Austria (Bałazy et al 2008;Tkaczuk et al 2011a).…”