First records of aphid-pathogenic Entomophthorales in the sub-Antarctic archipelagos of Crozet and Kerguelen

International audienceSince the 20th century, the sub-Antarctic islands have suffered an increasing number of biological invasions. Despite the large number of publications on this topic, there is a lack of knowledge on parasitism rates of invasive species and on the role of parasites and pathogens to regulate their populations. Six aphid species have been introduced in the archipelagos of Crozet (Ile de la Possession, 46 degrees 25' S-51 degrees 51' E) and Kerguelen (49 degrees 21' S-70 degrees 13' E). Five of these species were found infected by entomopathogenic fungi of the order Entomophthorales. All these fungal species are cosmopolitan. Conidiobolus obscurus and Entomophthora planchoniana were the most frequently observed on Ile de la Possession and in Archipel des Kerguelen, respectively. This is the first report of pathogenic fungi of aphids on the sub-Antarctic islands. We discuss these results in the light of our current knowledge of these insect pathogens. Their introduction by aphids surviving on plants during transportation is the most likely hypothesis to explain their presence on these remote islands

Ribosomal internal transcribed spacer size variation correlated with RAPD-PCR pattern polymorphisms in the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis and some closely related species

International audienc

Ribosomal internal transcribed spacer size variation correlated with RAPD-PCR pattern polymorphisms in the entomopathogenic fungus Erynia neoaphidis and some closely related species

International audienc

Advantages and disadvantages of Cornidiobolus obscurus and of Erynia neoaphidis in the biological control of aphids

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Occurrence of pathogens in populations of Ips typographus, Ips sexdentatus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) and Hylobius spp. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Curculioninae) from Austria, Poland and France

Occurrence of pathogens in four important forest pest insect species, Ips typographus, Ips sexdentatus, Hylobius abietis and Hylobius pinastri, from Austria, Poland and France was investigated in 2006–2008. Insects were collected from 46 sampling sites. In total 5,634 living adult beetles were dissected. Some dead adults and some very few dead larvae were inspected for fungal infection. Eight pathogen species (Ips typographus entomopoxvirus, Gregarina typographi, Mattesia sp.,Chytridiopsis typographi, Unikaryon montanum, Beauveria bassiana, Beauveria caledonica and Isaria farinosa) were found in I. typographus from the three countries. Four pathogen species were found in I. sexdentatus from Austria and France (Gregarina cf. typographi, Metschnikowia cf. typographi, B. bassiana and B. caledonica). Five pathogen species were found in H. abietis from Austria and Poland (Gregarina hylobii, Ophryocystis hylobii, Nosema hylobii, B. bassiana and B. brongniartii) and two in H. pinastri from Poland (G. hylobii and O. hylobii). Some of the pathogen species were found for the first time in one of the three countries or are reported for the first time in one of the investigated beetle species. Differences in occurrence and geographical distribution of these pathogens are discussed with regard to their respective apparent host spectrum and possible ecological requirements

Global Spread of Human Chromoblastomycosis Is Driven by Recombinant Cladophialophora carrionii and Predominantly Clonal Fonsecaea Species

Global distribution patterns of Cladophialophora carrionii, agent of human chromoblastomycosis in arid climates of Africa, Asia, Australia, Central-and South-America, were compared with similar data of the vicarious Fonsecaea spp., agents of the disease in tropical rain forests. Population diversities among 73 C. carrionii strains and 60 strains of three Fonsecaea species were analyzed for rDNA ITS, partial β-tubulin, and amplified fragment-length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints. Populations differed significantly between continents. Lowest haplotype diversity was found in South American populations, while African strains were the most diverse. Gene flow was noted between the African population and all other continents. The general pattern of Fonsecaea agents of chromoblastomycosis differed significantly from that of C. carrionii and revealed deeper divergence among three differentiated species with smaller numbers of haplotypes, indicating a longer evolutionary history

<i>Cladophialophora carrionii</i> ITS-<i>BT2</i> haplotype network, with geographical distribution, gaps and missing data excluded.

<p>Three main clusters (cA~cC) were recognizable in concatenated ITS-<i>BT2</i> sequence data of <i>C</i>. <i>carrionii</i>. Cluster cC took a most distant position and harbored the largest diversity. Cluster cB was dominated by Asian strains. Strains of group cA nearly all came from South or Central America. These groups matched with groups (AFLP-A~AFLP-D) given by AFLP analysis. The majority of African strains clustered close to group AFLP-A, and subcluster AFLP-D which contain the majority of strains clustered in sequence-based group cA’ and cB’.</p