Trap Production by Nematophagous Fungi Growing from Parasitized Nematodes

Abstract

Nematode-trapping fungi are generally considered facultative parasites that produce traps only under special conditions. However, Arthrobotrys dactyloides, A. oligospora, Monacrosporium ellipsosporum, and M. cionopagum produced many traps when growing from parasitized nematodes in saturation extracts of four soils. Thus, conditions that induce traps may normally prevail when these fungi grow from nematodes in soil, and parasitism may be more important to these fungi than has previously been recognized (...)