Survival and feeding activity of Protaphorura armata in different composts

SummaryEffects of compost products, enriched or not-enriched with a strain of the mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma atroviride, on the survival of the collembolan Protaphorura armata and the viability of fungal conidia after the transit through the springtail gut were investigated. The effect of compost enriched with Ca-Lignosulphonate (Ca-Ls), a low cost by-product of the acid sulphite pulping process, with lignin-like structure, on P. armata was also evaluated. All compost products enriched or not with the mycoparasitic fungus or Ca-Ls did not affect P. armata survival. No statistical differences were found in animal survival for different types of product or in enriched and not-enriched products. In addition to adults, live juveniles were also observed in all compost products. The gut content of animals, collected at the end of the survival test from compost enriched with T. atroviride, was examined under the light microscope, and in a few cases observations revealed the presence of some T. atroviride conidia. Subsequent tests carried out to study the viability of conidia after the transit through the springtail gut showed that colonies of the fungus developed from all faecal pellets produced by adult and juveniles specimens of P. armata previously fed on conidia of T. atroviride. These results suggest compatibility between Collembola and Trichoderma or Ca-Ls in the composts.