Entomophthorales

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Entomophthorales
Entomophthora muscae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Entomophthoromycota
Class:
Entomophthoromycetes
Order: Entomophthorales
Winter 1880
Families
Synonyms
  • Ancylistales Vines 1888 ex Schröter 1893
  • Ancylistineae Schröter 1893

The Entomophthorales are an

Entomophthoromycotina, in 2007, was circumscribed for them.[1]

Most species of the entomophthorales are pathogens of

saprotrophs
.

The name "entomophthorales" is derived from the Ancient Greek for insect destroyer (entomo- = referring to insects, and phthor = "destruction"). Named after genus Entomophthora in 1856.[2]

Green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, killed by the fungus Pandora neoaphidis (Zygomycota: Entomophthorales) Scale bar = 0.3 mm.

Highlighted species

Biology

Most species of the entomophthorales produce ballistic asexual spores that are forcibly discharged. When not landing on a suitable host, these spores can germinate to make one of several alternate spore forms, including a smaller version of the original spore, or (in some species) an adhesive spore elevated on a very slender

conidiophore
called a capilliconidiophore.

Classification

Debates have centred on whether the

Molecular systematics approaches so far give an ambiguous answer. Some analyses suggest the Basidiobolaceae are more closely related to certain chytrid fungi than to the entomophthorales.[4] and place it within the Chytridiales order.[5] Others find weak support to maintain them in the Entomophthorales.[6]
Morphological characters can be found to support either hypothesis.

References

  1. PMID 17572334
    .
  2. ^ Fresenius, G. 1856. Botanische Zeitung 14, 882-883.
  3. PMID 12009804
    .
  4. .
  5. ^ Carl A. Batt and Pradip Patel (Editors) Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology (2014), p. 59, at Google Books
  6. PMID 17051209
    .

External links