A natural fungal infection of a sylvatic cockroach with Metarhizium blattodeae sp. nov., a member of the M. flavoviride species complex.
A wild, forest-dwelling cockroach from the subfamily Ectobiidae (order Blattodea) in a nature reserve in Cavalcante, in the state of Goiás, Brazil, was found to be infected by a new, genetically distinct species in the Metarhizium flavoviride species complex that we describe here as Metarhizium blattodeae. The status of this fungus as a new species is supported by both multigenic sequence comparisons and protein profiles generated by MALDI-TOF (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight) mass spectrometry. This is one of the first reports of a naturally occurring fungal pathogen affecting any sylvatic (forest-dwelling) cockroach from any part of the world. M. blattodeae caused up to 96 % mortality of Periplaneta americana nymphs (a serious peridomestic cockroach species) after 10 d.
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia 74605-050, Goiás, Brazil. Electronic address: montalva.cristian@gmail.com.
Cristian
C
Montalva
Centro Universitário de Gurupí (UnirG), Gurupí 77425-500, Tocantins, Brazil. Electronic address: karincollier@gmail.com.
Karin
K
Collier
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia 74605-050, Goiás, Brazil; Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Goiás (IFG), Aparecida de Goiânia 74968-755, Goiás, Brazil. Electronic address: luizfnr@hotmail.com.
Luiz Fernando Nunes
LF
Rocha
Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília 70770-917, Distrito Federal, Brazil. Electronic address: peterwinglis@gmail.com.
Peter Ward
PW
Inglis
Embrapa Recursos Genéticos e Biotecnologia, Brasília 70770-917, Distrito Federal, Brazil. Electronic address: rogerio.lopes@embrapa.br.
Rogério Biaggioni
RB
Lopes
Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública (IPTSP), Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG), Goiânia 74605-050, Goiás, Brazil. Electronic address: wchrisluz@hotmail.com.
Christian
C
Luz
USDA-ARS Emerging Pests and Pathogens Research Unit, Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, NY, 14853-2901, USA. Electronic address: richard.humber@ars.usda.gov.
Richard A
RA
Humber
D000818:Animals; D020048:Blattellidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008853:Microscopy; D009181:Mycoses / Q000382:microbiology*; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012319:RNA Polymerase II / Q000235:genetics; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S; D012319:RNA Polymerase II
Blattodea; Brazil; Clavicipitaceae; Entomopathogenic fungus; Goiás