FIRST RECORD OF THE ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGUS NEOZYGITES FUMOSA ON THE CASSAVA MEALYBUG PHENACOCCUS-HERRENI

Neozygites fumosa (Speare) Remaudiere & Keller (Zygomycetes: Entomopht horales) was found in 1994 for the first time as a pathogen of cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus herreni Cox & Williams (Hemiptera: Pseudococcid ae), in Brazil. Infection levels of 9.3-64.6% of scales were found in fields in Cruz das Almas and Sio Goncalo, Bahia. The fungus produces g lobose hyphal bodies (9.5-14.2 mu m diameter) and ellipsoid to broadly fusoid, tetranucleate primary conidia (16.5 +/- 0.5 x 8.1 +/- 0.9 mu m). Few capilliconidia and no zygospores (resting spores) were observe d. The interphasic nuclei (1.2-1.8 mu m diameter) showed an unexpected quantity of condensed (and readily stainable) chromatin. N. fumosa is being studied further as a potentially significant biocontrol agent o f cassava mealybug in Northeastern Brazil. (C) 1997 Academic Press.