WAR  of  the  MICROWORLDS  

How do I kill Thee?   Let me count the Ways!   (# 8)  click here for full list

Dactyllelina copepodii, DEUTEROMYCOTA: larval and adult stages of copepod captured by stout, adhesive knobs produced by germinating conidia or arising from vegetative hyphae

Left: The conidium of the predator has germinated to produce branching fertile hyphae each branch tip bearing a  large adhesive knob.  This is acopepod larval stage and it is still alive and will continue to move around actively, dragging the germinatied conidium and hyphae behind until the assimilative hyphae, developing inside the body,  kill the victim.   Originally described by me as a Dactylaria this species would now be called a Dactylellina based on the capture device.    Right: Assimilative hyphae of Dactylellina copepodii colonizing the body of an adult copepod.

   Left: Adult copepod.  Right: diagram  a) conidiophore with solitary terminal conidium   b) conidia  c) germinating conidia with adhesive knobs  d)   terminal cells of  fertile branches produce stout,adhesive, nondeciduous knobs as trapping devices.

Images copyright George Barron from MycoAlbum CD (contains these pictures and a 1000 more)

Comment on Mycoalbum CD by  SST : ' the illustrations are beyond any of this type that I have seen'.