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Ingestion of Pythium spp. by larvae of the fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens (Diptera:Sciaridae)
Author(s) -
GARDINER R. B.,
JARVIS W. R.,
SHIPP J. L.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1990.tb06600.x
Subject(s) - sciaridae , biology , pythium , larva , botany , fungus , impatiens , cultivar
Summary Mycelium, oospores and zoospore cysts of Pythium spp. were fed to larvae of the fungus gnat Bradysia impatiens. The fungal structures were all ingested and provided a complete nutritional source for the insect's development from egg to adult. Mycelium seemed the major source of food as only empty fragments were found either in the digestive tract or in larval faeces. Oospores appeared intact and were viable both during passage through the tract and when expelled. Germination of oospores was normal. Most encysted zoospores also survived passage through the gut, although some appeared damaged. After transferring recently‐fed larvae to a new food source, oospores were still detected in the digestive tract 48 h later. These results show that the larval stage of B. impatiens may serve as an important vector for Pythium spp.