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Plant-Insect Ecosystems

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Survey of endophytic fungi associated with galls and host plants of Asphondylia borrichiae (Diptera:Cecidomyiidae): Ongoing graduate thesis research

Poster On-Demand
Asphondylia borrichiae, like other gall-forming gnats, are obligate symbionts to the fungal endophytes (FE) they deposit when laying eggs Asphondylia spp. and FE are important agents for biocontrol, yet details surrounding their diversity, life cycles, and host interactions remain poorly understood. Galls and leaf-stem tissues from two host plants were surveyed to identify FE taxa and trends in community structure. Identification of 115 isolates was carried out by sequencing DNA in the internal transcriber spaces (ITS1/4). Pairwise alignments through multiple genetic databases were compared and bolstered with phylogenetic analyses. A total of 23 genera were identified. The most prominent genus was Fusarium, particularly those within the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC). Galls included species previously documented in A. borrichiae galls: Botryosphaeria dothidea, Cladosporium spp., and Alternaria. Several genera were isolated that have not been previously identified in A. borrichiae galls: Clonostachys rosea, Sarocladium sp., Daldinia sp., Nigrospora spp., Hypoxylon sp., Epicoccum sp., Curvularia lanata, Trichoderma sp., Pestalotiopsis sp., and Phlebiopsis sp. Statistical analyses are ongoing, but evidence suggests a correlation between host plant and gall FE that may substantiate transmission of fungi into plant tissues following midge eclosion. Such a finding would imply EF can use A. borrichiae and their hosts as vectors of transmission. Asphondylia spp. are known crop pests and inhabitants of declining ecosystems, while EF are dense sources of unique metabolites. Understanding the ecology and EF diversity of multi-trophic systems can aid applications in biomedicine, restoration, and biocontrol.