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Survey of termite-inhabited soil and mosquito breeding sites in Lucknow, India for potential mycopathogens of Anopheles stephensi

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Abstract

During a short survey of soil and mosquito breeding sites in Lucknow, India for potential mycopathogen from a period of August–October 1996, 11 species of fungi in 5 genera were isolated using live mosquito larvae as host. Aspergillus flavus , A. fumigatus and Fusarium semitectum were the most frequently isolated species. Other fungi recorded were A. niger , A. ochraceus , A. terreus , A. versicolor , Geotrichum candidum , Penicillium verrucosum , Paecilomyces sp. and Fusarium sp. (Liseola/Elegans complex). Insect cell walls are known to contain chitin, so fungal isolates were tested for their chitinase activity on semi synthetic medium containing colloidal chitin. High chitinolytic activities were observed with A. flavus and A. ochraceus. Chitinase producers can be considered as potential pathogens. However, the higher incidence of F. semitectum could not be explained by inability to utilize chitin.

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  1. Banani Sur
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Sur, B. Survey of termite-inhabited soil and mosquito breeding sites in Lucknow, India for potential mycopathogens of Anopheles stephensi. Mycopathologia 144, 77–80 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007072806204

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007072806204

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