NEW DATA ABOUT PREVALENCE OF ENDORETICULATUS POECILIMONAE (MICROSPORIDIA: ENCEPHALITOZOONIDAE) IN THE GRASSHOPPER POECILIMON THORACICUS (ORTHOPTERA: TETTIGONIIDAE)
DESISLAVA VLADOVA1, DANAIL TAKOV2, DANIELA PILARSKA1,2*
1-New Bulgarian University, Department of Natural Sciences, Bulgaria;
2-Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
* Corresponding author: dpilarska@nbu.bg
Keywords: Poecilimon thoracicus, microsporidia infection, Endoreticulatus
Abstract: A microsporidium belonging to the genus Endoreticulatus was found in a Bulgarian population of the bellied bright bush cricket Poecilimon thoracicus (Tettigoniidae), a widely distributed grasshopper species in Europe. The hosts were collected in 2014, 2015 and 2016 in Gabrovnitsa site. The pathogen produced intense infections in the mid gut and gastric caeca of the host. The lowest prevalence of E. poecilimoni was recorded in mid June of 2016 (40.0%). The highest infection rate was observed in the beginning of July 2016 (94.4%). No statistical significant differences in the prevalence of E. poecilimoni in males (55.9%) and females (56.4%) of P. thoracicus were detected.