Molecular Phylogeny, Biology and Classification of the Microsporidia (MIcrosporidia, Fungi) According to the Model Groups from Caddis Flies (Insecta, Trichoptera) and Butterflies (Insecta, Lepidoptera)

Twenty-four microsporidia from Trichoptera and Lepidoptera as well as 5 microsporidia from potential intermediate hosts (Crustacea, Amphipoda) were isolated and screened using light and electron microscopy and molecular biology methods. The screened organisms represented the following genera in the conventional classification of Microsporidia (Canning and Vávra, 2000) Nosema (7), Endoreticulatus (3), Cystosporogenes (2), Thelohania (4), Gurleya (1), Cougourdella (1), Pyrotheca (1), Episeptum (5), Toxoglugea (1), Larssoniella (2), unresolved isolates (2) (the number of species examined in respective genera is given in parentheses). The publications report the ecological and experimental data on the prevalence, host and tissue specificity and transmission. All studied microsporidia from Trichoptera beloning to genera Episeptum, Paraepiseptum n.g., Zelenkaia n.g. are host-species specific parasites infecting fat body and oenocytes of their hosts. Their spores are not infective for the original host, their life cycle involves probably an intermediate host and (or) transovarial transmission. Data obtained by rDNA sequencing showed that microsporidia (genera Thelohania, Gurleya, Toxoglugea) from several of Gammarus spp., occurring sympatrically with Trichoptera are not involved in the life cycle of..