Collection of microsporidian spores

Solter, L. and J. Maddox, K. Higgs

Scientists at the Illinois Natural History Survey curate a large collection of viable microsporidian species, both described and undescribed. More than 1,000 samples of microsporidia isolated from hosts in the Orders Lepidoptera, Heteroptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera are stored in liquid nitrogen and have been shown to be infectious to natural hosts after more than 25 years of storage in 1:1 sterile water: glycerol. The collection is a source of many potential biological control agents and is important for future studies of previously described pathogens.