Microscopic Photos drawing by Lizzie Harper
A pencil drawing by Lizzie Harper (Ballocephala sphaerospora parasitizing tartigrade, see Lizzie Harper website).
DESCRIPTION:
Tartigrades are known to survive under extreme conditions such as high heat, low temperatures, wide pressure gradients and even a journey to space. However, they are not free from parasites here on earth. The following photos and references show how this hardy creature can succumb to fungi.
Photos are from a collection on wet wood near a stream in PEI. There was only one small colony on the wood, captured in the following photos
REFERENCES:
Barron George, 2013. Ballocephala sphaerospora. Fungi Image Collection U of Guelph The Atrium website.
Dreschler, Charles. 1951. An Entomophthoraceous tartigrade parasite producing small conidia on propulsive cells in spicate heads. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 78: 183-200.
Harper, Lizzie. lizzieharper.co.uk website
Mills Danielle, 2014. Ballocephala sphaerospora. Tommy Leung Parasite of the Day website (dailyparasite.blogspot.com.)
Pohland and Bernard, 1978. A new species of Entomphthorales parasitizing tartigrades. Mycologia 70: 130-139.
Richardson MJ, 1970. Ballocephala verrucospora. TBMS 55: 307-309.
Saikawa et al. 1994. Electron microscopy on infection of tartigrades by Ballocephala sphaerospora and B. verrucospora conidia. Trans. Myc. Soc. Japan 33: 305-311.