Entomophaga aulicae was monitored in populations of noctuid lepidopteran pests of soybean during the 2000, 2001, and 2002 growing seasons in South Carolina and infected only Plathypena scabra larvae. No infection by E. aulicae was detected in 2002. | Turk J Biol 29 (2005) 243-248 © TÜB‹TAK Characterization of the Fungal Pathogen, Entomophaga aulicae (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) in Larval Populations of the Green Cloverworm, Plathypena scabra (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Özlem KALKAR Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Kahramanmarafl Sütçü ‹mam University, Avsar Campus, Kahramanmarafl - TURKEY Gerald R. CARNER Department of Entomology, Soils and Plant Sciences Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 29634 - USA Received: Abstract: Entomophaga aulicae was monitored in populations of noctuid lepidopteran pests of soybean during the 2000, 2001, and 2002 growing seasons in South Carolina and infected only Plathypena scabra larvae. No infection by E. aulicae was detected in 2002. Average infection levels of E. aulicae in P. scabra populations in Blackville were and in 2000 and 2001, respectively. At Clemson, infection was and for the two sampling weeks in 2000, and infection reached a high of in 2001. Pyriform, multinucleate conidia and spherical to slightly oval resting spores were the primary features of this fungus. When conidia were kept in a high humidity for 6-12 hrs they either formed long germ tubes or secondary conidia. Resting spores were formed by budding from parental cells. This study is the first detailed characterization of E. aulicae from P. scabra. Key Words: Entomopathogenic fungi, Lepidoptera, Soybean. Plathypena scabra'nın (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larval Populasyonunda Fungus Pathojeni Olan Entomophaga aulicae’nın (Zygomycetes: Entomophthorales) Tanımlanması Özet: Noctuid Lepidoptera populasyonu üzerindeki do¤al pathojen Entomophaga aulicae’n›n 2000, 2001, ve 2002 tar›m sezonunda oluflumu araflt›r›ld› ve sadece P. scabra larvas›nda infeksiyon gözlendi. 2002’de E. aulicae taraf›ndan infekte edilmifl noctuid larvas›na rastlanmad›. Blackville’deki P. scabra populasyonunun ortalama infeksiyon düzeyi 2000 y›l›nda % 6 ve 2001 y›l›nda % 20
