Favoritos de bobharding

Collected about 9 active mines for rearing. The larva from one mine was found walking around the collection vial within <1hr of collecting. Others remain in mines as active larvae or in chambers, as in photo 2 of this observation: https://inaturalist.ca/observations/138429043. Will store everything in fridge until April.

I suspect the larvae make multiple mines. Mines tended to be clustered - I would search for 10 minutes without finding anything, then would find 2 or 3 mines in very close proximity, often same plant, with most or all mines empty, including some small leaves that were completely mined.

Sometimes a microscopic slide mount may not look too interesting. The first one looks boring and confusing but in fact shows many important features (conidia, nematode carcasses filled with mycelium and attachment pegs). After consultation and further photos it was included as the first record for North America (Baral et al., 2020). The only way to learn is to send photos. They may be more significant than you think.

Lecophagus vermicola Magyar et al. On branch (Populus sp) attached to live tree heavily colonized by old Hysteriaceae. Lecophagus observed close to Orbilia sp. Conidia canoe shape with upturned ends, 5-7 septate; meaurements in water mount 52-73x15-19µm not including upturned ends which measure 10-12µm long therefore total of 63-90x15-19µm. Stored in cold garage overnight and reobserved in lacto blue mount showed a reduction in width to 12-15µm probably due to death and lacto blue mounting medium. Photos with dark blue conidia taken in lacto blue mounting media. All others in water. Note the internal hyphae in dead nematode and “sticky knob” on outside surface of nematode.
References
Baral, H.O., Evi Weber, Guy Marson. 2020. Monograph of Orbiliomycetes (Ascomata) Based on Vital Taxonomy.1752 pp. Published by Musee National d’Histoire Naturelle, Luxembourg.
Magyar, Marson, Merenyi, Baral. 2016. Lecophagus vermicola sp. nov. a nematophagus hyphomycete with an unusual hunting strategy. Mycol. Progress 15:1137-1144..