Natural occurrence of entomophthoroid fungi of aphid pests on Medicago sativa L. in Argentina. / Natural occurrence of entomophthoroid fungi of aphid pests on Medicago sativa L. in Argentina.

ABSTRACT

Four species of entomophthoroid fungi, Pandora neoaphidis (Entomophthorales Entomophthoraceae), Zoophthora radicans (Entomophthorales Entomophthoraceae), Entomophthora planchoniana (Entomophthorales Entomophthoraceae) and Neozygites fresenii (Neozygitales Neozygitaceae) were found to infect Aphis craccivora, Therioaphis trifolii, and Acyrthosiphon pisum and unidentified species of Acyrthosiphon on lucerne in Argentina. Samples were collected from five sites (Ceres, Rafaela, Sarmiento, Monte Vera and Bernardo de Irigoyen) in the province of Santa Fe. In this study, Zoophthora radicans was the most important pathogen and was recorded mainly on Acyrthosiphon sp. Zoophthora radicans was successfully isolated and maintained in pure cultures. This study is the first report of entomophthoroid fungi infecting lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) aphids in Argentina.