Nematophagous Fungi Occurrence: Prediction Using Bioclimatic Variables

Abstract

This study aimed to identify bioclimatic variables that favour the occurrence of three fungal species of the genus Arthrobotrys. For this purpose, 122 samples were collected from agricultural soils, 41 of which were positive for nematophagous fungi. In total, 13 pure Arthrobotrys spp. cultures tested positive for pathogenicity to entomopathogenic nematodes and were identified at the species level based on their morphology and morphometry. The environmental and bioclimatic characteristics of positive sampling sites were evaluated using the maximum entropy algorithm, with 22 bioclimatic variables as predictors; among them, the main variables that promoted the occurrence of Arthrobotrys spp. were moisture regime (35.1%), precipitation of warmest quarter (21.3%), and altitude (20.5%). The total surface area with these conditions was 109,568 ha. In Guanajuato, Mexico, conditions favour the occurrence of nematophagous fungi. The bioclimatic variables that increased the incidence of the genus Arthrobotrys were moisture regime, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and altitude. The municipalities in Guanajuato of Abasolo (001), Irapuato (017), Jaral del progreso (018), León (020), Pueblo Nuevo (024), Salamanca (027), and Valle de Santiago (042) encompass regions conducive to finding nematophagous fungi.