Species diversity and temporal niche of entomopathogenic fungi in the extensively managed tea plantation soil

The species diversity and temporal niche of entomopathogenic fungi community in the rhizosphere soil collected from the extensively managed Huangshan fuzz tip tea plantation were investigated. A total of 140 soil samples were collected at the location of Tangkou Town,Huangshan of Anhui Province during August,2012 to June,2013,and totally 1041 fungal isolates were obtained on selective medium with soil dilution plating. The results showed that the entomopathogenic fungi community in the tea plantation soil was diverse with 13 species in 6 genera. Purpureocillium lilacinum ( 309 strains),Beauveria bassiana( 255 strains),and Metarhizium anisopliae( 101strains) were the dominant species accounting for 29. 7%,24. 5% and 9. 7% of the relative frequency,respectively. P. lilacinum had the widest temporal niche breadth among these dominant entomopathogenic fungi from the tea plantation soil,while B. bassiana had the narrowest. Among the entomopathogenic fungi,B. bassiana and B. brongniartii had the biggest temporal niche overlap of 1. 965,while Isaria javanicus and B. bassiana had the smallest of 0. 374.