Title Association of the coprophilous fungus Pirella circinans with an indigenous beetle on the sub-antarctic Bird Island
Author Bridge, P.D.; Hughes, K.A.; Denton, J.O.
Author Affil Bridge, P.D., British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Other: RHS Garden, United Kingdom
Source Polar Biology, 31(6), p.657-661, . Publisher: Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. ISSN: 0722- 4060
Publication Date May 2008
Notes In English. 24 refs. GeoRef Acc. No: 284716
Index Terms Atlantic Ocean Islands--South Georgia; Arthropoda; Atlantic Ocean Islands; biodiversity; Bird Island; DNA; ecology; fungi; Insecta; Invertebrata; Mandibulata; phylogeny; Scotia Sea Islands; South Georgia; subantarctic regions
Abstract The zygomycete fungus Pirella circinans was isolated from cadavers of the beetle Hydromedion sparsutum from diverse sites on the sub-Antarctic Bird Island and was found to be the dominant or sole fungal coloniser during the primary degradation of cadavers. The fungus was observed to grow and colonise cadavers from discrete areas of the beetle carapace, some of which were not affected by alcohol surface sterilisation. The fungus is commonly reported from the dung of rodents and other small mammals. (mod. journ. abst.)
URL http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s00300-007-0403-y
Publication Type journal article
Record ID 84169