Annotated checklist of arthropod-pathogenic species in the Entomophthoromycotina (Fungi, Zoopagomycota) in North America.

Abstract

The subphylum Entomophthoromycotina (Phylum Zoopagomycota) includes many arthropod pathogens, some of which are renowned for their abilities to alter host behavior prior to death and cause epizootics that impact host populations. The last checklist of arthropod-pathogenic species in this group was published in 1963 and consisted of 39 species in a single genus. Since then, more species have been named, and their taxonomy has changed extensively. We have constructed an updated checklist for species of Entomophthoromycotina in North America; this checklist includes species in the continental United States, Canada, and Mexico. Data were compiled based on available published literature and metadata available from the ARSEF culture collection, adjusting names based on current taxonomy. In North America, the arthropod-pathogenic Entomophthoromycotina now include 80 species belonging to 14 genera, within two classes, plus one species in a form genus. This checklist provides a current framework for future studies of the biodiversity of this group of fungi.