In the period 2001-2004, several hundreds of undergroundshelters (mainlyab and onedgalleries, caves, and cellars)inW and SWBohemia(CzechRepublic) were explored for insectcadavers with visi blefungalgrowth. At27localities, 94infectedcadavers of sixinsecttaxa were collected.Themostfre quentinfectedinsects were 7Yiphosadubitata, Scoliopteryxlibatrix(Lepidoptera;Geometridae and Noctuidae, resp.) and unidentifedmosquitoes(Diptera, Culicidae). On the collectedcadavers, alto ge the r20 species of microfungi(includingsterilemycelia) were recorded, most of them belonging to entomopathogens. The most frequent was Paecilomyces farinosus (36 % of all samples) and Cordycepssp.(15%)whichhadaffinitytoC. tuberculata and C.riverae. Closeassociation with insects was shownbyCordycepssp.( with Triphosadubitata) and Conidiobolusdestruens( with unidentified mosquitoes). On the contrary, Paecilomycesfarinosus was recordedonfivedifferentinsect species . Also several other interesting species were found (e.g. Hirsutella guignardii, Engyodontium cf. parvisporum), probably not yet recorded from the Czech Republic. Microphotographs of some microfungi studied are included.
Kubátová A., Dvořák L. (2005): Entomopathogenic fungi associated with insect hibernating in underground shelters. – Czech Mycology 57(3-4): 221–237.
