Smittium cylindrosporum Lichtw. & Arenas, Mycologia

Barón, Daniel E. & Valle, Laia Guàrdia, 2018, First record of trichomycetes associated with aquatic insects from Colombian Moorland and Andean forests, Phytotaxa 361 (1), pp. 1-24 : 11-12

Smittium cylindrosporum Lichtw. & Arenas, Mycologia 88: 847. 1996. ( Figs 43–46 )

Specimens examined: — COLOMBIA. SANTANDER: Floridablanca; Río Guayana, prepared from Chironomidae sp. Larvae, D. Baron, COL13–Tr41; Berlin; Río Cardal, prepared from Chironomidae larvae, D. Baron, COL15-Tr45, Tr49.

Comments: — Smittium cylindrosporum was previously known from southern Chile, where it was described ( Lichtwardt & Arenas 1996) and from southern Argentina (eastern Andes) living in larvae of Paraheptayia cinerascens and Cricotopus sp. ( Chironomidae ) (Lichtwardt, Ferrington, & López-Lastra, 1999). We report the presence of S. cylindrosporum within Chironomidae larvae. This fungus has characteristic trichospores, almost cylindrical, sometimes with a slight media bulge, (22–)28–30 × 2.5–4.5 μm diam., with a collar 3–5.2 μm long in our samples. Thalli attached to the host gut lining by characteristic horseshoe-shaped holdfast, measuring about 4 μm diameter, or tapered and measuring about 15–20 μm long.

FIGURES 40–42. Smittium culicis from Chironomidae . 40, 42. Thallus overview with tapering holdfast (arrow). Bar = 25 μm. 41. Fertile branches with trichospores. Scale bar for Figs 40, 42 = 50 μm; for Fig. 41 = 25 μm.

Figures

FIGURES 43–46. Smittium cylindrosporum from Chironomidae. 43. Thallus overview. 44, 46. Horseshoe-shaped holdfast (arrow) and trichospores. 45. Detail of cylindrical trichospores, sometimes with a slight medial bulge.