First report of a trichomycete fungus (Zygomycota: Trichomycetes) inhabiting larvae of Simulium ochraceum sensu lato Walker (Diptera: Simuliidae) from the Galapagos Islands.
A collection of the larval black fly Simulium ochraceum sensu lato Walker was made at six lotic habitats on San Cristobal Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, during May 2003. Sixty-eight larvae were assayed for the presence of gut fungi (Zygomycota: Trichomycetes). A trichomycete, designated as Smittium sp. was found inhabiting the hindgut of 17.6% of S. ochraceum s.l. larvae. Implications of this finding with respect to both host and trichomycete biogeography are discussed.
Nelder
Mark P
MP
Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Room 124, University of South Alabama, 307 University Blvd., Mobile, AL 36688-0002, USA. mnelder@clemson.edu
McCreadie
John W
JW
Coscarón
Cecilia
C
Brockhouse
Charles L
CL
D000818:Animals; D004484:Ecuador; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007814:Larva / Q000469:parasitology; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012843:Simuliidae / Q000469:parasitology*