Studies of Laboulbeniales (Fungi, Ascomycota) on Myrmica ants: Rickia wasmannii in the Netherlands

By

Haelewaters, Danny
Boer, Peter.
Noordijk, Jinze

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015

Original Publication

Journal of Hymenoptera research

Volume

44

Pages

39-47

Subjects

Ant-associated fungi , ectoparasites , Formicidae , host shift , Laboulbeniales , parasite prevalence

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Washington, D.C International Society of Hymenopterists

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/JHR.44.4951

 

Abstract

An important group of fungal insect parasites is the Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota). These are microscopic in size and live attached to the cuticle of their arthropod hosts. Rickia wasmannii is a common European species limited to the ant genus Myrmica (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). We present new records of R. wasmannii in the Netherlands on three host species: Myrmica ruginodis, M. sabuleti, and M. scabrinodis. Our data show a mass infection of M. sabuleti by R. wasmannii. The average parasite prevalence is 38% (n = 3,876). The prevalence was much lower on the other Myrmica species. So far, R. wasmannii infections have been found only on Myrmica species in the rubra-group and the scabrinodis-group. We provide possible explanations for this observation. To date, Rickia wasmannii is known on nine Myrmica species in sixteen European countries; an overview is included in tabulated form.