Abstract
The distance traveled by conidia of the E. muscae species complex from cadavers of Musca domestica was measured. Laboratory strains of E. muscae and E. schizophorae, as well as a field-collected strain of E. muscae, were compared in darkness under still air conditions at 21°C. Most conidia were discharged <3.75 cm from the cadaver, with a range of 0 to 8.75 cm. When a fly cadaver was affixed to a vertical surface (normal death orientation), conidia discharged from the dorsum of the abdomen traveled further than conidia discharged from the lateral regions. Cadavers suspended in midair discharged similar numbers of laboratory strain E. muscae conidia similar distances from the venter, dorsum, or lateral abdomen. This suggested a boundary layer effect caused the reduced lateral discharge distance in earlier trials. Average discharge distance was positively related to cadaver size. A laboratory strain of E. muscae discharged conidia further than did a field strain of E. muscae and a laboratory strain of E. schizophorae.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 253-258 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journal of Invertebrate Pathology |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 1996 |
Funding
We thank D. W. Watson and J. J. Petersen (USDA-ARS, Lincoln, NE) for the culture of E. schizophorae used in this study and Mariano Berdegue, Pat Luft, T. D. Paine, Peggy Wirth (Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside), and Jorgen Eilenberg (Department of Ecology and Molecular Biology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark) for reviewing an earlier version of the manuscript. Funding for this work was provided through a Graduate Opportunity Fellowship to Diana L.
Keywords
- Conidia
- Conidial discharge
- Entomophthora muscae
- Entomophthora schizophorae
- Entomophthorales
- House fly
- Musca domestica
- Zygomycotina