title: Long-term storage of Ascosphaera aggregata and Ascosphaera apis, pathogens of the leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) and the honey bee (Apis mellifera).
abstract: Survival rates of Ascosphaera aggregata and Ascosphaera apis over the course of a year were tested using different storage treatments. For spores, the storage methods tested were freeze-drying and ultra-low temperatures, and for hyphae, freeze-drying, agar slants, and two methods of ultra-low temperatures. Spores of A. aggregata and A. apis stored well at -80 degrees C and after freeze-drying. A. aggregata hyphae did not store well under any of the methods tested while A. apis hyphae survived well using cryopreservation. Spores produced from cryopreserved A. apis hyphae were infective. Long-term storage of these two important fungal bee diseases is thus possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Agriculture, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark. abj@life.ku.dk
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eilenberg