Association between Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) and Fusarium solani (Moniliales: Tuberculariaceae)

The fungus Fusarium solani (Martius) Saccardo was isolated from adult females of Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) from 2 different populations (Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico; and Allada, Benin, Africa). F. solani was isolated from 60% of H. hampei females reared on an artificial diet for 3 generations, from 90% of field-collected female beetles from Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico, and from 100% of field-collected female beetles from Allada, Benin. The sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions of the nuclear rDNA of the isolates from Mexico and Benin were similar to each other and to published sequences of F. solani (asexual states of Nectria hematococca). The possibility of a symbiotic association between F. solani and H. hampei is discussed.