First records of aphid-pathogenic Entomophthorales in the sub-Antarctic archipelagos of Crozet and Kerguelen

• Published in: Polar Research
• Main Authors: Papierok, Bernard, Dedryver, Charles-Antoine, Hullé, Maurice
• Other Authors: Institut Pasteur Paris, Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes (IGEPP), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Rennes 1 (UR1), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-AGROCAMPUS OUEST, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), This research was supported by the French Polar Institute (programme 136 Subanteco) and the French National Center for Scientific Research (Zone Atelier de Recherche sur l'Environnement antarctique et subantarctique).
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2016
• Subjects: kerguelen islands; natural enemies; entomopathogenic fungus; parasitism; Zygomycetes; crozet islands; introduced species; biological invasion; colonization; invasion biologique; iles crozet; iles kerguelen; champignon entomopathogène; puceron; entomophthorales; ennemi naturel; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Antarctic; Archipel des Kerguelen; Kerguelen; Kerguelen Islands; Antarc*; Crozet Islands; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01425789; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01425789/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01425789/file/2016_Papierok_Polar%20Research_1.pdf; https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v35.28765

International audience Since the 20th century, the sub-Antarctic islands have suffered an increasing number of biological invasions. Despite the large number of publications on this topic, there is a lack of knowledge on parasitism rates of invasive species and on the role of parasites and pathogens to regulate their populations. Six aphid species have been introduced in the archipelagos of Crozet (Ile de la Possession, 46 degrees 25' S-51 degrees 51' E) and Kerguelen (49 degrees 21' S-70 degrees 13' E). Five of these species were found infected by entomopathogenic fungi of the order Entomophthorales. All these fungal species are cosmopolitan. Conidiobolus obscurus and Entomophthora planchoniana were the most frequently observed on Ile de la Possession and in Archipel des Kerguelen, respectively. This is the first report of pathogenic fungi of aphids on the sub-Antarctic islands. We discuss these results in the light of our current knowledge of these insect pathogens. Their introduction by aphids surviving on plants during transportation is the most likely hypothesis to explain their presence on these remote islands.