View source for Entomophthora muscae (entomopathogen)

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[[File:2011-06-20 Entomophthora muscae (Cohn) Fresen 204248.jpg|250px|thumb|fly infected with ''Entomophthora muscae'' (click on image to enlarge it)<br/>Source: [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2011-06-20_Entomophthora_muscae_(Cohn)_Fresen_204248.jpg Wikimedia Commons]]]
[[File:Entomophthora muscae Persoonia 2013 30 p101.jpg|200px|thumb|left|multinucleate primary conidia of ''Entomophthora muscae'', arrow = apical papilla (click on image to enlarge it)<br/>Authors: A.P. Gryganskyi et al.<br/>Source: [https://doi.org/10.3767/003158513X666330 Persoonia (2013) 30, p. 101]]]
<font color="#008000">'''''Entomophthora muscae'' (entomopathogen)'''</font> (Cohn) Fresen. 1856 

This fungus is widely distributed, mainly in temperate regions. It has been reported to infect a variety of different Diptera like fruit flies, house flies or root flies. However, some of these reports might refer to the complex of closely related species, called ''Entomophthora muscae s.l.'' The species of this complex are morphologically indistinguishable and include, for example, ''[[Entomophthora schizophorae (entomopathogen)|Entomophthora schizophorae]]''. Each member of this complex appears to have a more restricted host range, with ''Entomophthora muscae s.str.'' being most virulent to the house fly, but can infect other Diptera at a lower rate. In house flies, the fungus causes higher mortality and forms larger conidia.

Like other species of ''Entomophthora'', ''E. muscae'' changes the behaviour of the infected host and induces it to rest on top of a plant where the fly dies, typically with the wings spread out. The fungus then emerges through the soft intersegmental membranes of the abdomen, forming first primary conidia which are ejected from the host insect. The primary conidia might infect a new host or germinate and form secondary conidia which are also infectious.


<gallery widths=200px caption="Other images of Entomophthora muscae (entomopathogen) (Wikimedia Commons - click to enlarge)">
File:Diptera-Syrphidae-Melanostoma-scalare-201208050081.JPG|''Melanostoma scalare '' infected by ''Entomophthora muscae''
File:Entomophthora muscae on Scathophaga stercoraria (lateral view).jpg|''Scathophaga stercoraria'' infected by ''Entomophthora muscae''
</gallery>

[[Category:Entomophthora (genus - entomopathogens)]]