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Occurrence of pathogens and nematodes in forest beetles from Curculionidae and Attelabidae in Bulgaria

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Abstract

Beetles from Curculionidae and Attelabidae collected from 14 localities (mainly in coniferous stands) in Bulgaria were investigated for the presence of pathogens and nematodes. A microsporidium belonging to genus Nosema in the fat body of Pityogenes chalcographus (prevalence: 0.9%) and the fungus Beauveria bassiana in the oak-leaf roller Attelabus nitens (prevalence: 62%) were detected for the first time. Morphological data and characteristics of Nosema sp. spores and conidia of B. bassiana are presented. Nematode species (Cryptaphelenchus diversispicularis, Parasitorhabditis subelongati and Parasitylenchus dispar), and specimens belonging to other ten nematode genera were found (Bovianema, Bursaphelenchus, Cryptaphelenchus, Neoparasitylenchus, Parasitylenchus, Parasitaphelenchus, Panagrolaimus, Parasitorhabditis, Prothallonema and Sulphuretylenchus). Their prevalences varied from 17.4% to 90%. Nine of the host beetles (Dryocoetes autographus, Ips sexdentatus, I. acuminatus, Orthotomicus laricis, O. erosus, Pityogenes quadridens, P. conjunctus, Hylurgus ligniperda and Taphrorychus villifrons) are reported as vectors of Bursaphelenchus sp.

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Acknowledgments

We are especially indebted to the National Science Fund of Bulgaria project DO-02-251/2008 and personally to Prof. Renate Radek for her help for TEM of microsporidia. The present study was implemented also with the support of the National Programme of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science “Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria

    D. Takov & D. Pilarska

  2. University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1797, Sofia, Bulgaria

    D. Doychev

  3. New Bulgarian University, 21 Montevideo Str., 1618, Sofia, Bulgaria

    D. Pilarska

  4. Agrotechnologies and Plant Protection, Institute of Soil Science, 7 Shosse Bankya Str., 1080, Sofia, Bulgaria

    S. Draganova

  5. Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, Dragan Tsankov Bvld., 1164, Sofia, Bulgaria

    S. Nedelchev

  6. Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Alfred-Möller-Straße, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany

    A. Linde

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Takov, D., Doychev, D., Pilarska, D. et al. Occurrence of pathogens and nematodes in forest beetles from Curculionidae and Attelabidae in Bulgaria. Biologia 74, 1339–1347 (2019). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00250-x

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