Tasmanian Trichomycete Gut Fungi in Aquatic Insect Larvae

ABSTRACT

A fourth species of the Australasian genus Austrosmittium, A. biforme (Trichomycetes, Harpellales), has been found. This gut fungus from Chironomidae larvae collected in a Tasmanian stream has the unusual feature of producing two distinctly different sizes of trichospores. Two new Tasmanian species of the more common genus Smittium, S. compactum and S. fastigatum, are described from lotic chironomid larvae. A new species of Harpellales from Tasmanian mayfly nymphs is also described and illustrated, but not named; it may represent a new genus that has similarities to Bojamyces repens recently described from the USA. New records of other Tasmanian trichomycetes from aquatic insects are provided.

Key Words:

• Australia
• Chironomidae
• Harpellales
• Ephemeroptera
• Trichomycetes