title: New insights into the amphibious life of Biomphalaria glabrata and susceptibility of its egg masses to fungal infection.
abstract: The air-breathing snail Biomphalaria glabrata proliferates in stagnant freshwater, and nothing is known about the survival of eggs in intermittently (rather than perpetually) wet habitats. In the present study their egg masses matured, and juveniles subsequently eclosed and were mobile in a stable water film of transitory habitats simulated by two different simple test devices described here. The viability of eggs maintained in an unstable film however, was diminished. The maturation of egg masses in a water film or in water was significantly prevented by the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. The efficiency depended on the fungal propagule and test environment. Hyphal bodies were more effective against egg masses than conidia. This appears to be a first report of activity of either entomopathogen against a mollusc. Both devices offer accurate and reproducible conditions to test both biological questions and the effects of substances or pathogens against B. glabrata egg masses in water films.
authors.affiliation: DMIPP, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74001-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glennyha F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: DMIPP, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74001-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juscelino
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: DMIPP, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74001-970, Brazil.
authors.forename: Éverton K K
authors.initials: ÉK
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS Biological Integrated Pest Management Research, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, 538 Tower Rd., Ithaca, NY 14853-2901, USA.
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Humber
authors.affiliation: DMIPP, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO 74001-970, Brazil. Electronic address: wchrisluz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052982:Beauveria / Q000502:physiology; D001700:Biomphalaria / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000382:microbiology; D047108:Embryonic Development; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D010063:Ovum / Q000382:microbiology; D010572:Pest Control, Biological
keywords: Beauveria; Metarhizium; Mollusc; Test device; Water film