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Research article2015Peer reviewed

Chemodiversity and biodiversity of fungi associated with the pine weevil Hylobius abietis

Azeem, Muhammad; Terenius, Olle; Rajarao, Gunaratna Kuttuva; Nagahama, Kazuhiro; Nordenhem, Henrik; Nordlander, Göran; Borg-Karlson, Anna-Karin

Abstract

The pine weevil Hylobius abietis is a severe pest of conifer seedlings in reforestation areas. Weevils lay eggs in the root bark or in the soil near roots of recently dead trees and cover the eggs with frass (feces combined with chewed bark), possibly to avoid conspecific egg predation. The aim of the present investigation focused on isolation, identification, and volatile production of fungi from pine-weevil feces and frass. Fungi were isolated from weevil frass and feces separately, followed by identification based on ITS sequencing. Fifty-nine isolates belonging to the genera Penicillium, Ophiostoma, Mucor, Leptographium, Eucasphaeria, Rhizosphaera, Debaryomyces, and Candida were identified. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the fungal community and fungal isolates cultured on weevil-frass broth were identified by SPME-GCMS. Major VOCs emitted from the fungal community and pure isolates were species- and strain specific and included isopentylalcohol, styrene, 3-octanone, 6-protoilludene, methyl salicylate, 3-methylanisole, 2-methoxyphenol, and phenol. Some of these are known to influence the orientation of pine weevils when tested among highly attractive newly planted conifer seedlings. (C) 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

Candida sequanensis; Debaryomyces; Fungal community; Methyl salicylate; Ophiostoma; Penicillium

Published in

Fungal Biology
2015, Volume: 119, number: 8, pages: 738-746
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD

      SLU Authors

        • Sustainable Development Goals

        SDG15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Microbiology
        Ecology
        Organic Chemistry

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2015.04.008

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/68393