Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles
The ectoparasitic fungus Hesperomyces virescens Thaxter (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) commonly infects the invasive lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and several other aphidophagous lady beetles in North America and Europe. We tested the hypothesis that bodily contact between adults of different...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/814378 |
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| _version_ | 1832560415511412736 |
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| author | Ted E. Cottrell Eric W. Riddick |
| author_facet | Ted E. Cottrell Eric W. Riddick |
| author_sort | Ted E. Cottrell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ectoparasitic fungus Hesperomyces virescens Thaxter (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) commonly infects the invasive lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and several other aphidophagous lady beetles in North America and Europe. We tested the hypothesis that bodily contact between adults of different lady beetle species supports horizontal transmission of H. virescens. We used laboratory assays to determine whether H. axyridis or Olla v-nigrum (Mulsant) harboring H. virescens (i.e., source beetles) transmit the fungus to noninfected target beetles H. axyridis, O. v-nigrum, Coccinella septempunctata L., Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer), or Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville. Results indicate that intraspecific transmission (i.e., for the source beetles H. axyridis and O. v-nigrum) was common but interspecific transmission (i.e., from source H. axyridis or O. v-nigrum to target species) was low. Interspecific transmission occurred at low rates from H. axyridis to both C. septempunctata and O. v-nigrum and from O. v-nigrum to both C. septempunctata and H. convergens. Based upon our laboratory assays of forced pairings/groupings of source and target beetles, we predict that horizontal transmission of H. virescens between species of aphidophagous coccinellids is possible but likely rare. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d044d30ede744cccacba0ae3abf1c2a6 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0033-2615 1687-7438 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d044d30ede744cccacba0ae3abf1c2a62025-02-03T01:27:36ZengWileyPsyche: A Journal of Entomology0033-26151687-74382012-01-01201210.1155/2012/814378814378Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady BeetlesTed E. Cottrell0Eric W. Riddick1Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, GA 31008, USANational Biological Control Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Stoneville, MS 38776, USAThe ectoparasitic fungus Hesperomyces virescens Thaxter (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) commonly infects the invasive lady beetle Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) and several other aphidophagous lady beetles in North America and Europe. We tested the hypothesis that bodily contact between adults of different lady beetle species supports horizontal transmission of H. virescens. We used laboratory assays to determine whether H. axyridis or Olla v-nigrum (Mulsant) harboring H. virescens (i.e., source beetles) transmit the fungus to noninfected target beetles H. axyridis, O. v-nigrum, Coccinella septempunctata L., Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer), or Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville. Results indicate that intraspecific transmission (i.e., for the source beetles H. axyridis and O. v-nigrum) was common but interspecific transmission (i.e., from source H. axyridis or O. v-nigrum to target species) was low. Interspecific transmission occurred at low rates from H. axyridis to both C. septempunctata and O. v-nigrum and from O. v-nigrum to both C. septempunctata and H. convergens. Based upon our laboratory assays of forced pairings/groupings of source and target beetles, we predict that horizontal transmission of H. virescens between species of aphidophagous coccinellids is possible but likely rare.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/814378 |
| spellingShingle | Ted E. Cottrell Eric W. Riddick Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles Psyche: A Journal of Entomology |
| title | Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles |
| title_full | Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles |
| title_fullStr | Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles |
| title_short | Limited Transmission of the Ectoparasitic Fungus Hesperomyces virescens between Lady Beetles |
| title_sort | limited transmission of the ectoparasitic fungus hesperomyces virescens between lady beetles |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/814378 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tedecottrell limitedtransmissionoftheectoparasiticfungushesperomycesvirescensbetweenladybeetles AT ericwriddick limitedtransmissionoftheectoparasiticfungushesperomycesvirescensbetweenladybeetles |