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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Mycotoxin Prevention and Applied Microbiology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #350434
Title: Morphological comparison of Fusarium species associated with Euwallacea ambrosia beetles

Author
item AOKI, TAKYUKE - National Agriculture And Food Research Organization (NARO), Agricultrual Research Center
item KASSON, MATTHEW - West Virginia University
item FREEMAN, STANLEY - Volcani Center (ARO)
item GEISER, DAVID - Pennsylvania State University
item O Donnell, Kerry

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/2018
Publication Date: 5/27/2018
Citation: Aoki, T., Kasson, M., Freeman, S., Geiser, D., O'Donnell, K. 2018. Morphological comparison of Fusarium species associated with Euwallacea ambrosia beetlee [abstract].

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tree damage caused by Euwallacea ambrosia beetles, including those of fruit trees, has become a severe problem worldwide. Euwallacea species cultivate Fusarium in their galleries as a source of nutrition. Concerning the ambrosia species of Fusarium, 12 phylogenetic species have been discovered based on recent analyses, including that of Kasson et al. (2013). However, only two species have been formerly described, i.e., F. ambrosium, described firstly as a species of Monacrosporium and later recombined in Fusarium, and F. euwallacea, described recently as associating with Euwallacea ambrosia beetles colonizing avocado trees in Israel and California. A comparative morphological study of the phylogenetic species of ambrosia Fusarium has been conducted. This group of fungi belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex and most of the phylogenetic species produce apically swollen, unique “dolphin”-shaped conidia in culture. Their apically swollen conidia are morphologically different corresponding to each of the phylogenetic species. In addition to 3-5-septate typical swollen conidia that are produced mainly by F. ambrosium and F. euwallaceae, there are species that form conidia of different morophology, i.e., species forming mainly 1-2-septate short conidia, species that form conidia with dense and often oblique septation, and species with conidia that vary in size. These morphological features were found to be diagnostic for the formal species descriptions.