01951naa a2200241 a 450000100080000000500110000800800410001902400520006010000190011224501830013126000090031452011710032365000170149465000240151165300280153565300150156370000190157870000190159770000260161670000220164270000160166477300290168021536082023-05-09 2023 bl uuuu u00u1 u #d7 ahttps://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-023-02217-72DOI1 aCAMARGO, T. S. aFungal community associated with the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex crassispinus (HymenopterabFormicidae) colonies: a search for potential biocontrol agents.h[electronic resource] c2023 aThe leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex crassispinus is considered an important pest in forest plantations in southern Brazil. This work aimed to study the fungal community associated with A. crassispinus colonies, subjected to treatments with subdoses of granulated baits (sulfluramid), which might reduce the ability of the ants to care for their symbiotic fungus and other fungi (maybe biocontrol fungi) would take over, to prospect for potential biological control agents. Samplings of fungus gardens and dead ants allowed the identification of 195 fungal isolates, distributed in 29 families, 36 genera, and 53 species. The most frequent genera were Trichoderma (49.2%), Penicillium (13.8%), Chaetomium (6.2%), and Fusarium (3.6%). This is the first study that conducted a survey of antagonistic and entomopathogenic fungi to A. crassispinus and its symbiotic fungus, reporting for the first time the occurrence of potential biological control agents. Escovopsis weberi, Fusarium oxysporum, Rhizomucor variabilis, Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma koningiopsis, and Trichoderma spirale are considered some of the potential biocontrol organisms. aForest pests aControle Biológico aAcromyrmex crassispinus aBiocontrol1 aNICKELE, M. A.1 aREIS FILHO, W.1 aPENTEADO, S. do R. C.1 aQUEIROZ, E. C. de1 aAUER, C. G. tMicrobial Ecology, 2023.