Priority effects - the impact of a species' arrival on subsequent community development - have been shown to influence species composition in many organisms. Whether priority effects among arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) structure fungal root communities is not well understood. Here, we investigated whether priority effects influence the success of two closely related AMF species (Rhizophagu...

Aerially applied adherent corn flour granules containing 1% malathion were more often as, or more, effective than 15% chlorpyrifos (Lorsban 15G) granules in controlling caterpillars and sap beetles in high amylose corn in 1997 than 1996. Use of malathion granules corresponding closely in size to chlorpyrifos granules in the second year of the study apparently increased relative efficacy. Signif...

A study of saprobic fungi occurring on the fynbos of the Western Cape Province of South Africa yielded four unknown Anthostomella species. A. proteae from Protea nitida, A. cynaroides from P. cynaroides, A. leucospermi from Leucospermum oleifolium, and A. brabeji from Brabejum stellatifolium are described as new. New records for South Africa include A. conorum from Leucadendron sp., Protea magn...

Drosophila suzukii populations remain low in the UK. To date, there have been no reports of widespread damage. Previous research demonstrated that various species of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes could potentially suppress D. suzukii population development under laboratory trials. However, none of the given species was concluded to be specifically efficient in suppressing D. suzukii. The...

Mycorrhizal fungi and insects are important components of most ecosystems that are likely to interact with one another indirectly through a common host plant. In this paper, we review the literature examining the effects of insects on mycorrhizal fungi and the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on insects and show that both groups of organisms can indirectly and, occasionally directly, influence each...

Ectomycorrhizal fungi occur in remarkably species-rich assemblages. One of the prevailing hypotheses to explain this diversity is niche differentiation; by occupying distinct ecological niches within a site, multiple fungal species are able to co-occur (Bruns, 1995). In this issue of New Phytologist (pp. 000–000), Ishida and colleagues make a significant contribution to our understanding of nic...

The vibration of fungal cultures was evaluated to determine its potential effect on the dispersal of airborne fungal microorganisms suspected of being pathogens. An artificial vibration system, which simulates the actual environmental vibration of fungal structures, was designed and constructed for this purpose. Experiments featured the use of low-frequency vibrations similar to those induced b...

Esca disease of grapevine is gaining increasing importance in Central European wine-growing countries. Several fungi, all of which are wood-inhabiting, were found to be associated with the disease. The taxa thought to act as main causal agents are the basidiomycete, Fomitiporia mediterranea, and, less frequently, the deuteromycetes, Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum. In...

Adhesive conidia of the nematophagous fungus, Drechmeria coniospora (Drechsler) W. Gams and Jansson (Moniliales: Deuteromycetes), would occasionally attach but never penetrate the infective stages of insect parasitic Neoaplectana carpocapsae, N. glaseri, N. bibionis, N. intermedia, and Heterorhabditis helfothidis (Rhabditida). However, adult and pre-infective stages of Neoaplectana spp. became ...