CYTOTOXICITY AND INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI FROM BLACKSPRUCE (PICEA-MARIANA) NEEDLES

Hyphae and hyphal extracts from fungi isolated from inside healthy bla ck spruce needles were assayed for their effect on spruce budworm (Cho ristoneura fumiferana Clem.) cell cultures and larvae. Isolates were f rom needles of four age-classes (current 3 years old) collected throug hout a 4-month sampling period. Hyphal extracts from 21 of the 100 iso lates tested were toxic to spruce budworm cell cultures and isolates f rom older needles (2 and 3 years old) negatively affected cells more f requently (p < 0.05) than isolates from younger needles (current and 1 year old). Hyphae from five isolates and hyphal extracts from seven i ncreased mortality (p < 0.05) when fed to second instar larvae in a la boratory bioassay. Development was delayed and larval dry mass reduced when budworm were fed hyphae from Cryptocline abietina Petrak (isolat e number 69). Larval dry mass was reduced when budworm were fed the ex tract from Aureobasidium pullulans (de Bary) Am. (isolate 87) but incr eased when fed Cryptocline abietina (isolates 40 and 80), a coelomycet e (isolate 12), and Hormonema dematioides (isolates 28, 63, and 96).