Nematophagous and Plant-Parasitic Fungi Div. Microbial Ecology , Dept.
Nematodes are millimeter-sized roundworms.
Many of these are parasites of plants and animals and may result in severe diseases of crops and livestock. A group of fungi, nematophagous fungi, are parasites of nematodes. The nematophagous fungi may be used for biological control of parasitic nematodes. Projects are currently run on the interactions between nematodes and nematophagous fungi, from physiological studies of the fungal infection mechanisms to field surveys of the distribution and activity of the nematophagous fungi in soil and biological control. Infection of nematodes by the nematophagous fungus Drechmeria coniospora Drechmeria coniospora is an endoparasitic nematophagous fungus infecting nematodes with adhesive conidiospores.