The blueberry bud mite (BBM), Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer) , is gaining importance as a pest of southern highbush blueberries. During a BBM population development study in a northcentral Florida location, an epizootic was observed, and the mesothermic acarine mycopathogen, Hirsutella thompsonii (Fisher), was identified as the causal organism. In order to better understand the progression of an ep...

The Mesocriconema xenoplax population increased exponentially in a newly planted peach orchard. The rate of increase was greater on Nemaguard than on Lovell rootstock and was reduced by postplant nematicides. Population levels were more stable in an established almond orchard on Nemaguard rootstock. All life stages of the nematode were present year round; lower ratios of juveniles to adults in ...

Hirsutella rhossiliensis OWVT-1 has substantial potential as a biocontrol agent against plant-parasitic nematodes. Serine proteases have emerged as a potentially useful factor in the nematode-fungus interactions. When grown in liquid culture with the nematode Panagrellus redivivus as the sole nitrogen source, an extracellular alkaline protease (Hasp) was produced by the OWVT-1. The purified Has...

Hirsutella rhossiliensis, a nematophagous fungus belonging to the Ascomycota, is resistant to aureobasidin A (AbA). In this fungus, the biosynthetic pathway leading to mannosylinositolphosphoceramides, which is inhibited by AbA, was not detected. Instead, this fungus contains neutral complex glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and monoglycosylceramides. Except for monoglycosylceramides, neutral GSLs shar...