This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McCreadie, J. W. Articles by Beard, C. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by McCreadie, J. W. Articles by Beard, C. E. Agricola Articles by McCreadie, J. W. Articles by Beard, C. E.

The microdistribution of the trichomycete Smittium culisetae in the hindgut of the black fly host Simulium vittatum

     Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Room 124, University of South Alabama, 307 University Blvd., Mobile, Alabama 36688-0002

Charles E. Beard ¹

     Department of Entomology, Box 340365, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0365

We examined the distribution of hyphae of the trichomycete fungus Smittium culisetae (Harpellales: Legeriomycetaceae) in the hindgut of a larval black fly (Simulium vittatum, cytospecies IS-7) by analyzing its prevalence and relative abundance. Hyphal prevalence was highest in the posterior colon (93.1%) and rectum (86.3%), with low prevalence (12.0%) in the anterior colon. Relative abundance of hyphae was highest in the posterior colon, followed by the rectum; relative abundance of hyphae in the anterior colon was lower. Hyphae of S. culisetae were not observed in the pylorus. We used a novel method of quantifying the relative abundance of S. culisetae in the host hindgut. The hindgut was observed with an ocular grid, and abundance was expressed as the ratio of grids occupied by hyphae to the number of grids occupied by hindgut.

Key words: aquatic insects, habitat selection, Simuliidae, symbiosis, Zygomycota

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. P. Nelder, J. W. McCreadie, and C. E. Beard Laboratory investigations of trichomycete prevalence, abundance and fecundity in a Smittium-simuliid model Mycologia, March 1, 2005; 97(2): 338 - 345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]