''Strongwellsea'' is a
genus of
fungi within the order
Entomophthorales of the
Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult
dipteran hosts (flies from
Anthomyiidae
The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family of Muscoidea flies. Most look rather like small houseflies, but are commonly drab grey. The genus ''Anthomyia'', in contrast, is generally conspicuously patterned in black-and-white or black-and- ...
,
Fanniidae
The Fanniidae are a small (285 species in five genera) group of true flies largely confined to the Holarctic and temperate Neotropical realms; there are 11 Afrotropical species, 29 Oriental, and 14 Australasian.
Adults are medium-sized to small ...
,
Muscidae, and
Scathophagidae
The Scathophagidae are a small family of Muscoidea which are often known as dung flies, although this name is not appropriate except for a few species of the genus ''Scathophaga'' which do indeed pass their larval stages in animal dung. The nam ...
orders) develop a large hole in their
abdomens, through which
conidia
A conidium ( ; ), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (), is an asexual, non-motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek word for dust, ('). They are also called mitospores due to the ...
(spores) are then actively discharged while the hosts are still alive.
While most fungi spore once the host is dead, with the ''Strongwellsea'' fungus, the flying host continues to live for days and also socialising with other flies while the fungus consumes its
genitals, fat reserves, reproductive organs and then finally its muscle. As it continues to emit thousands of spores on to other individuals and hosts. Then the host fly dies. The method of keeping the host alive while still releasing spores is called active host transmission (AHT). The fungi spores are almost shaped like
torpedoes and are designed for going fast (through the air). If they land on another fly host, they stick to the
cuticle
A cuticle (), or cuticula, is any of a variety of tough but flexible, non-mineral outer coverings of an organism, or parts of an organism, that provide protection. Various types of "cuticle" are non- homologous, differing in their origin, structu ...
and then migrate their way into the abdomen, where they start to generate spores. Thousands of spores can be released out from a single fly host.
They were first found in
Denmark, with 3 known species. ''Strongwellsea castrans'', ''Strongwellsea magna'' and ''Strongwellsea pratensis''.
Species ''Strongwellsea crypta'' is known to infect ''
Botanophila fugax
''Botanophila fugax'' is a species of fly in the family Anthomyiidae. It is found in the Palearctic. The larva is a stem borer.
Fungal species ''Strongwellsea crypta'' (from genus '' Strongwellsea'', order Entomophthorales
The Entomophthorale ...
'' (
Diptera
Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...
:
Anthomyiidae
The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family of Muscoidea flies. Most look rather like small houseflies, but are commonly drab grey. The genus ''Anthomyia'', in contrast, is generally conspicuously patterned in black-and-white or black-and- ...
) and ''Strongwellsea castrans'', is the only described species infecting flies from
Anthomyiidae
The Anthomyiidae are a large and diverse family of Muscoidea flies. Most look rather like small houseflies, but are commonly drab grey. The genus ''Anthomyia'', in contrast, is generally conspicuously patterned in black-and-white or black-and- ...
.
''Strongwellsea selandia'' and ''Strongwellsea gefion'' infects adult flies from genus ''
Helina
''Helina'' is a very large genus from the fly family Muscidae.
Fungal species ''Strongwellsea selandia'' and ''Strongwellsea gefion'' from (genus ''Strongwellsea'', order Entomophthorales) infects adult flies from genus ''Helina'' in Denmark. ...
'' (Diptera:
Muscidae).
''Strongwellsea tigrinae'' and ''Strongwellsea acerosa'' infect hosts from the genus ''
Coenosia'' (Muscidae).
In lab tests in 1992, ''Strongwellsea castrans'' was isolated
in vitro and then incubating conidia was projected from infected cabbage root flies (''
Delia radicum''). This showed that the fungus could infect other fly species.
The genus was
circumscribed
In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius.
Not every polyg ...
by Andrzej Batko and Jaroslav Weiser in J. Invertebr. Pathol. vol.7 on pages 460-463 in 1965.
The genus name of ''Strongwellsea'' is named after the 3 authors of a 1960 book, 'An Unidentified Fungus Parasitic on the SeedCorn Maggot'; Frank E. Strong, Kenneth Wells and James W. Apple (an American entomologist,
University of Wisconsin–Madison), "Generic name in honor of the authors of the preliminary report".
Species
As accepted by
Species Fungorum;
* ''
Strongwellsea acerosa
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea castrans
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea crypta
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea gefion
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea magna
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea pratensis
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea selandia
''Strongwellsea'' is a genus of fungi within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. They are known to infect insects. Infected adult dipteran hosts (flies from Anthomyiidae, Fanniidae, Muscidae, and Scathophagidae orders) develop a large ...
''
* ''
Strongwellsea tigrinae''
Former species;
* ''S. oehrensiana'' = ''
Entomophthora oehrensiana'', Entomophthoraceae family
References
Other sources
* Humber RA. 1982. Strongwellsea vs. Erynia : the case for a phylogenetic classification of the Entomophthorales (Zygomycetes). Mycotaxon 15: 167–184.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10681946
Animal fungal diseases
Insect diseases
Entomophthorales