Antifungal Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) Infecting Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander (Formicidae) Ants

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v63i2.1049

Keywords:

antimycotic, fungal parasite, ectoparasite, AgNPs, treatment

Abstract

Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) is an ectoparasitic fungus infecting Myrmica ants. Ant-parasitic Laboulbeniales and their interactions with the hosts have been in the focus of several studies. To assess the effects of these fungi, comparison of infected and uninfected or completely treated ants are needed. So far, treating Laboulbeniales infection was only achieved with cockroaches, but not with ants. We present a simple, yet relatively long, AgNP topical treatment that reduces or eliminates Rickia infection from Myrmica scabrinodis ants without affecting their lifespan. We discuss the possibilities of the proposed treatment in the light of the biology of Rickia.

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Author Biography

András Tartally, University of Debrecen

Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, Senior lecturer

References

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Published

2016-07-20

How to Cite

Pfliegler, W. P., Tálas, L., Báthori, F., Tartally, A., Pócsi, I., & Szemán-Nagy, G. (2016). Antifungal Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Rickia wasmannii Cavara (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniales) Infecting Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander (Formicidae) Ants. Sociobiology, 63(2), 851–854. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v63i2.1049

Issue

Vol. 63 No. 2 (2016)

Section

Short Note

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