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Abstract
Harpellales (Zygomycota: Trichomycetes) fungi are cosmopolitan obligate inhabitants of the gut of immature insects. A biweekly survey of gut fungi associated with chironomid (Chironomidae: Diptera) larvae living in the impounded water from Eryngium cabrerae (Apiaceae) phytotelmata from Punta Lara forest, Argentina, was done Jan 2003–Dec 2004. Two species of Harpellales were associated with chironomid larvae, Smittium phytotelmatum in the hindgut of Polypedilum sp. and Stachylina lentica in the midgut of both Polypedilum sp. and Metriocnemus eryngiotelmatus. No statistically significant differences were recorded in the prevalence of these Harpellales between seasons. Environmental variables (temperature, rainfall and relative humidity), impounded water volume, pH and chironomid larval density did not have an effect on the prevalence of the Trichomycetes.
Authors thank the caretakers of Reserva Natural Integral-Buenos Aires at Punta Lara for letting us work in the area, Dr Analía Paggi for the determination of chironomids, Lic. Victoria Sy and Lic. Daniel Calvo for help with the statistical analyses, Dr Victoria Micieli, Lic. Vanesa Dikgolz and Lic. Luis Giambelluca for assistance and collaboration with this survey and the Servicio Metereológico Nacional, Fuerza Aerea Argentina, Centro de Información Metereológica de Buenos Aires for providing the weather data. The National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) is gratefully acknowledged by A. Siri for a doctoral fellowship, Robert W. Lichtwardt for critical review of the manuscript, and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on the manuscript.