Resource capture and competitive ability of non-pathogenic Pseudogymnoascus spp. and P. destructans, the cause of white-nose syndrome in bats

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a devastating fungal disease that has been causing the mass mortality of hibernating bats in North America since 2006 and is caused by the psychrophilic dermatophyte Pseudogymnoascus destructans . Infected bats shed conidia into hibernaculum sediments and surfaces, but it is unknown if P . destructans can form stable, reproductive populations outside its bat hosts. Previous studies have found non-pathogenic Pseudogymnoascus in bat hibernacula, and these fungi may provide insight into the natural history of P . destructans . We compared the relatedness, resource capture, and competitive ability of non-pathogenic Pseudogymnoascus isolates with P . destructans to determine if they have similar adaptations for survival in hibernacula sediment. All non-pathogenic Pseudogymnoascus isolates grew faster, utilized a broader range of substrates with higher efficiency, and were generally more resistant to antifungals compared to P . destructans . All isolates also showed the ability to displace P . destructans in co-culture assays, but only some produced extractible antifungal metabolites. These results suggest that P . destructans would perform poorly in the same environmental niche as non-pathogenic Pseudogymnoascus , and must have an alternative saprophytic survival strategy if it establishes active populations in hibernaculum sediment and non-host surfaces.