TRICHODERMA SPECIES ASSOCIATED WITH ACROMYRMEX ANT NESTS FROM ARGENTINA AND FIRST REPORT OF TRICHODERMA LENTIFORME FOR THE COUNTRY

The aim of this work is the morphological and molecular identification of five species of Trichoderma associated with leaf-cutting ant nests of the genera Acromyrmex present in Argentina. The species identified were T. lentiforme, T. inhamatum, T. virens, T. koningiopsis and T. aff. neotropicale resulting in the first record of T. lentiforme and T. inhamatum associated with leaf-cutting Acromyrmex ants, in particular with Acromyrmex lobicornis and Acromyrmex lundii for the first one and with A. lobicornis for the second one. Moreover, T. lentiforme represents the first record for Argentina. In this work we extend the measurements of the conidia and the conidiophore and contribute with additional of the distribution of the species of Trichoderma in this country. Photographs illustrating conidiophores, conidiogenous cells, conidia, and colony phenotype are provided for each species.