| Trichomycete fungi are commonly associated with the digestive tracts of arthropods. However, little is known about the ecology of gut fungi of larval black flies. Field collections of larval black flies were made throughout coastal Alabama to assess the trichomycete mycota. Among the 1101 larval black flies assayed, eleven trichomycete taxa were found. Trichomycetes from field-collected black fly larvae varied temporally and spatially. Using Discriminant Function Analysis, I found that spatial distribution of Harpella was predictable based on site conditions. Trichomycete host preferences were studied in the laboratory, using several axenic cultures of Smittium and several Simulium hosts. Different Smittium showed significant preferences for certain black fly species. I report the first association between larval black flies and bdelloid rotifers. Rotifers affected trichomycete abundance in laboratory-reared black flies. This study provides the first report of trichomycete fungi inhabiting preimaginal black flies in streams along the Gulf of Mexico. |
