Diversity and Breadth of Host Specificity among Arthropod Pathogens in the Entomophthoromycotina

A meta-analysis based on the published literature was conducted to evaluate the breadth of host ranges of arthropod pathogens in the fungal subphylum . The majority of pathogens in this subphylum infect insects, although arachnids (especially mites), collembola, and myriapods are also used as hosts. Most species (76%) have specialized host ranges and only infect arthropods in one host family. The breadth of host ranges in the is generally greater for species in more basal groups ( and ), where most species are soil-borne saprobes and few are pathogens. The is a transitionary family in which all species are pathogens and both generalists and specialists occur. Among pathogen-infecting insects, Hemiptera and Diptera are the most commonly infected insect orders. Within the Hemiptera, hosts in the suborder Sternorrhycha were infected by more fungal species than the Auchenorrhyncha and Heteroptera.