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Title: Association of fungus gnats with oomycetal plant pathogens

Author
item ARNOLD, SARAH - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item Wraight, Stephen
item NELSON, ERIC - CORNELL UNIVERSITY
item SANDERSON, JOHN - CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: IOBC/WPRS Bulletin (Abstract for Conference Proceedings)
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/2008
Publication Date: 8/25/2008
Citation: Arnold, S.E., Wraight, S.P., Nelson, E., Sanderson, J.P. 2008. Association of fungus gnats with oomycetal plant pathogens. IOBC/WPRS Bulletin (Abstract for Conference Proceedings). 32:1-4.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Dark-winged fungus gnats in the genus Bradysia (Diptera: Sciaridae) are especially abundant in greenhouse plant production. It is thought that adult fungus gnats do not feed in the greenhouse setting; however sciarid larvae are known to feed on microorganisms in the soil, including various Oomycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, and Myxomycetes. Larvae of several species also have been observed consuming root, stem, and sometimes leaf tissue of apparently healthy vascular plants in greenhouses. In this laboratory study, Bradysia impatiens larvae chose to associate with cultures of the oomycetal plant-pathogens Pythium aphanidermatum, Pythium ultimum, or Pythium irregulare more frequently than the medium on which the pathogens were grown.