Environmental Entomology (1984) 13, 1609-1612

Jerry A. Payne and John M. Wells (1984)
Toxic penicillia isolated from lesions of kernel-spotted pecans
Environmental Entomology 13 (6), 1609-1612
Abstract: Incidence of kernel spot lesions on pecan kernels caused by feeding punctures of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), was 1.8% on the thick-shelled cultivar 'Stuart' and 3.4% on the thin-shelled cultivar 'Schley.' Of 730 lesion sections plated, 52% harbored fungi, 15.5% of which belonged to the genus Penicillium. Other genera isolated were Alternaria or Epicoccum (41.1%), Pestalotia or Monochaeta (9.2%), Phoma (6%), Fusarium (4.7%), Cladosporium (4.2%), Aspergillus (0.8%), and others (18.5%). Thirteen of the 59 Penicillium isolates bioassayed for toxicity were persistently toxic to day-old cockerels over a 1-year testing period. Seven of the toxic isolates were P. terrestre, two were P. cyclopium, and one each was P. funiculosum, P. frequentans, P. ochraceum, and P. citrinum. The toxic metabolite of P. citrinum was citrinin. Toxins of six of the seven isolates of P. terrestre were Penitrem A and an unknown compound resembling the roquefortins. Toxins of P. funiculosum and P. cyclopium were tentatively identified as funiculosin and bissecodehydrocyclopiazonic acid, respectively. Toxins of one strain of P. terrestre and of P. ochraceum and P. frequentans could not be identified.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Nezara viridula	Pecan/hickory (Carya)	U.S.A. (SE)