CONIDIAL TRAPS - A NEW SURVIVAL STRUCTURE OF THE NEMATODE-TRAPPING FUNGUS ARTHROBOTRYS-OLIGOSPORA

Conidia of A. oligospora germinated directly into adhesive traps when applied dose to cow faeces on water agar plates. With preincubation pe riods of 2-9 days before inoculation, around 90% of the conidia germin ated as conidial traps dose to the faeces and as normal germ-tubes fur ther away from the faeces. Conidial traps appear to develop in respons e to diffusing substances from cow faeces, rather than in response to living nematodes. The conidial trap is considered a survival structure enabling the fungus to overcome fungistasis. Traps adhere to the surf ace of passing nematodes, thus facilitating the spread of the fungus, before penetration of the nematode cuticle and immobilization of the n ematode take place.