Journal of
Agricultural Extension and Rural Development

  • Abbreviation: J. Agric. Ext. Rural Dev
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2170
  • DOI: 10.5897/JAERD
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 489

Extended Abstract

Ophiostomatoid fungi associated with the Eastern Himalayan spruce bark beetle (Ips schmutzenhoferi) in Bhutan: Species assemblage and phytopathogenicity

Thomas Kirisits1*, Heino Konrad1,2, Michael J. Wingfield3 and Dal Bahadur Chhetri4
1Institute of Forest Entomology, Forest Pathology and Forest Protection (IFFF), Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Hasenauerstraße 38, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. 2Present address: Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Department of Genetics, Unit of Ecological Genetics and Biodiversity, Hauptstraße 7, A-1140 Vienna, Austria. 3Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa. 4Renewable Natural Resources (RNR) Research and Development Sub-centre, Darla, Department of Forest and Park Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan, Darla, Chhukha, Bhutan.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 30 November 2011
  •  Published: 14 May 2012

Abstract

A brief synthesis of recent studies on the ophiostomatoid fungi associated with the Eastern Himalayan spruce bark beetle, Ips schmutzenhoferi and on the pathogenicity of selected fungal associates of this insect to Picea spinulosa and Pinus wallichiana is presented.I. schmutzenhoferi is intimately asso-ciated with ophistomatoid fungi and eleven fungal associates belonging to the genera CeratocystisCeratocystiopsisGrosmanniaOphiostoma,Leptographium and Pesotum were documented in a survey in Western Bhutan in 2001. In inoculation experiments with four ophiostomatoid fungi, conducted in 2005, Leptographium sp. 1, the most common fungal associate of I. schmutzenhoferi, displayed high levels of virulence to P. spinulosa. In contrast, P. wallichiana was highly resistant to inoculation with all four fungal species. The pathogenicity trials indicate that fungal associates of I. schmutzenhoferi and especially Leptographium sp. 1 prefer P. spinulosa over P. wallichiana as host, as is true of the insect itself.

 

Key words: Ceratocystis bhutanensisOphiostoma sensu lato, blue-stain fungi, fungal associates, insect-fungus symbiosis.