Fungal disease and parasitism in Panolis flammea during 1998: evidence of change in the diversity and impact of the natural enemies of a forest pest

The population of Panolis flammea in Northern Scotland was severely affecte d by fungal disease during the summer of 1998. The fungi, Entomophaga aulic ae, Nomuraea rileyi and Beauveria bassiana are recorded from P. flammea and the infection of the larvae by these fungi occurred in a density-dependent fashion. The incidence of parasitism was different between the two sites s tudied; however, there was no difference in the parasitism between high and low density host populations. This is the first study to demonstrate that the diversity and impact of fungal pathogens affecting P. flammea is much g reater now than in the past.