Survival of Entomophthora spp.in Laboratory Cultures

The prolong survival of cultures of Entomophthora coronata (COST.) KEVORK. 〔=Conidiobolus coronatus (COST.) TYRRELL. and MACLEOD〕, E.virulenta HALL and DUNN, E. thaxteriana(PETCH) HALL and BELL, and E. sphaerosperma FRES. under air-tight condition appeared to be dependent on the hyphae, some of which were knobby and might become chlamydo-spores. The conidia were very short lived, and the resting spores produced by E. virulenta also did not survive for long periods. The conidia survived longer at 5°C than at room temperatures.Under air-tight condition, the metabolic activity of the fungus was reduced as indicated by the production of only a few small conidia and narrow hyphae. As air became available more conidia were produced, the hyphae increased in size, became vacuolated, fragmented, and then collapsed and disintegrated.