Local epizootics caused by teleomorphic cordycipitoid fungi (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) in populations of forest lepidopterans and sawflies of the summer-autumn complex in Siberia

摘要

Unique epizootic loci were revealed in the summer-autumn complex of the multispecies communities of forest lepidopterans and sawflies in two regions of Novosibirsk oblast and in the Baikal region at the border of the Buryat Republic and Irkutsk oblast. Mass insect mortality was caused by two species of cordycipitoid fungi: Cordyceps militaris and Cordyceps sp. At least 30 species from 7 families of millers (Macroheterocera) and sawflies from the family Cimbicidae were found to be C. militaris hosts. Lepidopterans from the family Thyatiridae are the hosts of the second species, Cordyceps sp. Total mortality was noted for the condition close to optimal for pupation, i.e., in places of mass pupa accumulation. It may be assumed on the basis of the results of the laboratory experiments that, under natural conditions, host insects may be infected by ascospores and conidia at the anamorphic stage.