title: Bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae), their phoretic mites (Acari) and associated Geosmithia species (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) from Virgilia trees in South Africa.
abstract: Bark and ambrosia beetles are ecologically and economically important phloeophagous insects that often have complex symbiotic relationships with fungi and mites. These systems are greatly understudied in Africa. In the present study we identified bark and ambrosia beetles, their phoretic mites and their main fungal associates from native Virgilia trees in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR) of South Africa. In addition, we tested the ability of mites to feed on the associated fungi. Four species of scolytine beetles were collected from various Virgilia hosts and from across the CFR. All were consistently associated with various Geosmithia species, fungi known from phloeophagous beetles in many parts of the world, but not yet reported as Scolytinae associates in South Africa. Four beetle species, a single mite species and five Geosmithia species were recovered. The beetles, Hapalogenius fuscipennis, Cryphalini sp. 1, and Scolytoplatypus fasciatus were associated with a single species of Elattoma phoretic mite that commonly carried spores of Geosmithia species. Liparthrum sp. 1 did not carry phoretic mites. Similar to European studies, Geosmithia associates of beetles from Virgilia were constant over extended geographic ranges, and species that share the same host plant individual had similar Geosmithia communities. Phoretic mites were unable to feed on their Geosmithia associates, but were observed to feed on bark beetle larvae within tunnels. This study forms the first African-centred base for ongoing global studies on the associations between arthropods and Geosmithia species. It strengthens hypotheses that the association between Scolytinae beetles and dry-spored Geosmithia species may be more ubiquitous than commonly recognised.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa; DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
authors.forename: Netsai M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Machingambi
authors.affiliation: DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa; DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa.
authors.forename: Léanne L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.affiliation: DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB), Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X20, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa; Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa. Electronic address: fr@sun.ac.za.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roets
mesh_terms: D000053:Acari / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000469:parasitology*; D006999:Hypocreales / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D013019:South Africa; D014197:Trees / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Fabaceae; Hypocreomycetidae; Insect–fungus interactions; Phoretic mite; Spore vector