title: Nematophagous fungi from decomposing cattle faeces in Argentina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biological control of gastrointestinal nematodes of ruminants by use of nematophagous fungi would become part of any livestock parasite integral control system. Identifying autochthonous species that could then be selected for mass production is an important phase in the practical use of biological control.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To search for nematophagous fungi with potential use as biological control agents against gastrointestinal nematodes in Argentina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Decomposing cattle faeces sampled in different locations were incubated in water agar 2% with Panagrellus sp. The developed nematophagous fungi were transferred to new water agar 2% plates and then to corn meal agar plates in order to carry out their identification. Fungal diversity and richness were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen species from nine genera of nematophagous fungi were found. Twelve species were nematode-trapping fungi and three species plus two fungi identified to genus level corresponded to endoparasitic fungi. Arthrobotrys conoides, Arthrobotrys oligospora, Duddingtonia flagrans, Monacrosporium doedycoides, Arthrobotrys robusta and Drechmeria coniospora were the most frequently isolated species overall in the whole study (6.6%, 5.7%, 5.7%, 5.7%, 4.7% and 4.7%, respectively) although other species were more frequently recorded at local levels such as Arthrobotrys pyriformis (18.8%). Only A. conoides has been previously isolated from ruminant faecal samples in Argentina. Five nematode-trapping fungal species are mentioned for the first time in the Americas
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  D. flagrans and A. conoides, both identified in the present study, are among the most promising ones as biological control agents against gastrointestinal nematodes of ruminants.
authors.affiliation: Área de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva (SAMP), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNICEN), Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN) - CONICET, Paraje Arroyo Seco, B7000 Tandil, Argentina. Electronic address: saumell@vet.unicen.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Carlos Alfredo
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Saumell
authors.affiliation: BioNem Research Centre, 44 Kipling Ave., Guelph N1H 8C2, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Alicia Silvina
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.affiliation: Área de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva (SAMP), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNICEN), Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN) - CONICET, Paraje Arroyo Seco, B7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luis Alberto
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Fusé
authors.affiliation: Área de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva (SAMP), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNICEN), Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN) - CONICET, Paraje Arroyo Seco, B7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Área de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva (SAMP), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNICEN), Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN) - CONICET, Paraje Arroyo Seco, B7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Federica
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sagüés
authors.affiliation: Área de Parasitología y Enfermedades Parasitarias, Departamento de Sanidad Animal y Medicina Preventiva (SAMP), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias (FCV), Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (UNICEN), Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CIVETAN) - CONICET, Paraje Arroyo Seco, B7000 Tandil, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucía Emilia
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Iglesias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D009348:Nematoda; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D013045:Species Specificity; D013272:Stomach Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary
keywords: Colonización fúngica; Decomposing faeces; Diversidad; Diversity; Ecology; Ecología; Fungal colonisation; Heces en descomposición; Hongos nematófagos; Nematophagous fungi