Description Entomophthora is a type of
fungal pathogen that is parasitic towards flies and other two-winged insects. When entered into a host's body, the fungal pathogen begins to invade the body cells and take control of the hosts, which in turn results in death. This relationship between a host and an organism is called parasitism. the parasite lives off or within another
organism, in this case the
fly (host) and causes harm or even death to the host. Entomophthora outbreaks commonly occur in temperate regions often during spring and autumn.
Spores are the cause infection of a host, this usually occurs in cool and humid conditions commonly in areas where flies rest.
Life cycle Infection occurs when an insect comes in contact with the
Entomophthora pathogen. Once the insect has been infected, the fungal disease begins its
transmission and development throughout the body, causing harm and soon death to the host. The stages this pathogen undergoes to impact the host and cause harm are referred to its
life cycle. The first stage of the life cycle is infection, referring to the invasion of
micro-organisms into a
genome. These micro-organisms are foreign to the body. Within this stage, the host come in contact with a
conidia – a type of reproductive spore through
touch or
ingestion. When the conidia is within the host's body, it begins to germinate.
Germination refers to the process in which an organism grows from a spore. Here, the conidia present within the body begins to produce
hyphae, which act like the roots of the fungi as they grow and branch out within the body of the host, ultimately initiating the spread of the pathogen throughout the insect. Within this period the internal hyphae combine digestive
enzymes and utilise pressure to penetrate through a number of cuticle layers of the host. This allows for the spread of the pathogen throughout the whole body of the host, infecting the insects
blood and
tissue. The fungal
cells are able to absorb water and nutrients from the host's body, ensuring the pathogen's survival. The last stage of the
Entomophthora life cycle is
mummification of the cadaver, in which this stage causes death to the host. The pathogen has interrupted and overtaken the host's main vital mechanisms for survival, so the host's body is no longer able to function normally and defend itself against the pathogen or any other threats. The
mycelium – a group of hyphae- is then able to grow within the brain, controlling the behavioural aspects of the fly. The infection of the fly's brain allows the pathogen to gain control over the fly's movements. The pathogen commonly forces the host to locate itself on a high point of a surface, straighten out its back legs and open its wings. This allows for the hyphae to maximise growth within the body of the host causing death. Once death has occurred, the pathogen then releases its spores out into the environment to allow for
transmission and reproduction once again. The position in which the fly remains ensures that the release of spores is dispersed as widely as possible to ensure transmission to another insect. == Reproduction ==