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Comparison of Methods for Isolating Entomopathogenic Fungi from Soil Samples
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Comparison of Methods for Isolating Entomopathogenic Fungi from Soil Samples

Published on: January 6, 2022

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Diversity and abundance of entomopathogenic fungi at ant colonies

Steven Angelone1, Michael J Bidochka1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada.

Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
|July 19, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium were commonly found in ant nest soils in Canada, suggesting co-existence. Beauveria fungi were notably absent, indicating ants likely do not encounter this pathogen in their environment.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Entomology
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Ants possess social immunity mechanisms.
  • Entomopathogenic fungi like Metarhizium and Beauveria are studied in relation to ant social immunity.
  • Previous experimental conditions may not accurately reflect natural ant colony environments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the presence of Metarhizium and Beauveria entomopathogenic fungi in ant nest soils.
  • To assess the ecological relevance of these fungi in ant habitats.

Main Methods:

  • Soil samples were collected from 22 ant nests in Ontario, Canada.
  • Fungi were isolated using selective agar plating.
  • Fungal identification was performed via DNA extraction, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region amplification, and GenBank sequence comparison.

Main Results:

  • Metarhizium species were frequently detected in soils surrounding and within ant nests.
  • Soil concentrations of Metarhizium were not affected by the presence of ant nests.
  • Beauveria species were not detected in any soil samples.
  • Pochonia and Purpureocillium species, known nematode pathogens, were found in high concentrations.

Conclusions:

  • Metarhizium is prevalent in ant nest environments, supporting its use in studying ant-fungal interactions.
  • The absence of Beauveria suggests ants have limited exposure to this entomopathogen.
  • Other fungi, including Pochonia and Purpureocillium, are also common inhabitants of ant nest soils.
Keywords:
Ant-fungal interactionsBeauveriaEcologyEntomopathogenMetarhiziumSoil fungi

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