A microsporidium,Nosema pilicornis sp. n., of the purslane sawfly,Schizocerella pilicornis

A new microsporidian species, Nosema pilicornis, which infects the purslane sawfly, Schizocerella pilicornis, is described. This microsporidium infects most body tissues of the host. N. pilicornis was compared to other microsporidian species infecting Hymenoptera and to a group of similar microsporidia infecting Lepidoptera. N. pilicornis could be distinguished from all other microsporidian species on the basis of host range and ultrastructural characteristics of the spore. Spores were oval, containing 11 to 12 polar filament coils, and the polar filament had an angle of tilt of about 80°. N. pilicornis infected lepidopteran larvae, but only when heavy spore dosages were fed to early larval instars. S. pilicornis is a good but sporadic biological control agent of common purslane, Portulaca oleracea, a pernicious weed of vegetable, ornamental, and orchard crops. N. pilicornis, which is transovarially transmitted and causes high mortality in infected larvae, affects the performance of S. pilicornis as a biological control agent.