Figure 1.
A) habitat. Phragmites reeds and female Chelostoma florisomne returning with pollen for her brood. B) fecal pellet of C. florisomne larva covered with spore cysts; pale spore balls are visible through the transparent spore cyst wall. C) close-up of spore cyst showing spore balls and smooth, unornamented spore cyst wall. D) spore balls. E) bacilliform ascospores. B, photographed from A.A. Wynns 5168; C–E from A.A. Wynns 5166. Scale bars: B = 200 µm, C = 50 µm, C = 10 µm, D = 15 µm, E = 10 µm.
Figure 2.
Light microphotographs of Ascosphaera tenax, A. atra, A. major, and A. apis.
Ascosphaera tenax A) ascospores. B) punctate spore cyst wall.; A. atra C) broken spore cyst with ascospores.; A. major D) ascospores with attached granules. E) close-up of spore cyst wall.; A. apis F) ascospores. G) detail of pale spore cyst wall with minute spots. A–B photographed from holotype; C from ARSEF 693; D from A.A. Wynns 5170; E from A.A. Wynns 5175; F from A.A. Wynns 5174. Scale bars A = 5 µm, B–C = 10 µm, D = 5 µm, E–F = 10 µm.
Figure 3.
Light microphotographs of Ascosphaera fimicola.
A) two opaque, iridescent spore cysts still attached to hyphae. B–C) close-up of spore cyst showing maculate wall, D) ellipsoid ascospores with a few small granules attached to their surface. E) spore ball. A, photographed from A.A. Wynns 5167; B–C, E from A.A. Wynns 5130; D from J.P. Skou s.n. (paratype). Scale bars: A = 500 µm, B = 20 µm, C = 10 µm, D = 5, µm E = 15 µm.
Figure 4.
Light microphotographs of Ascosphaera aggregata and A. proliperda.
Ascosphaera aggregata A) ascopores. B) culture on V8 agar medium showing pale buff mycelium.; A. proliperda C) ascospores. D) culture on SDA showing white mycelium and scattered black spore cysts. E–F) bee larvae with chalkbrood caused by A. aggregata. E) fresh Chelostoma florisomne cadaver showing mature (black) and immature (white) spore cysts below the cuticle. F) dry Osmia bicornis larva swollen from fungal growth and spore cyst production below the cuticle. G) aerial hyphae and spore cysts on bee larva with chalkbrood caused by A. proliperda. A, photographed from A.A. Wynns 5144; B from A.A. Wynns 5162; C from A.A. Wynns 5055. Scale bars: A = 10 µm, B = 2 cm, C = 5 µm, D = 825 µm, E = 2 mm, F = 1 mm, G = 2 mm.
Table 1.
Distribution, host and substrate reports of Ascosphaera species in Europe.