Two New Fungi of the Genus Coelomomyces Parasitic in Larvae of Anopheles

Abstract

In India larvae of several species of Anopheles(Culicidae, Nematocera, Diptera) are parasitised by two species of fungi which form numerous large-sized spores in the host. These fungi occur in the haemocele of the Anopheles larva, and in heavily infected larvae the fungus can be seen to fill the entire haemocele from the thorax to the last segment of the abdomen. In many instances mycelia and spores occur even within the head of the insect. The fungi were not observed to invade the anal gills of the larva (except in a solitary instance in which spores occurred within the deteriorating anal gills).