ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

IsOlated frica all the matbrial plated out, so that no adviintage tould
be seen In using this method as leeii species were IsolateA. An'
adýantage of the direct Isolation from fragments of material to thiit
it in applicable to a wide range of materials under study, Including
tho digestive tracts of termites*
on comparing the numbera of fungal colonies obtained on the two
different media OF and CA) 9 slightly more fungi were obtained on the
Sr, 'r4edium, althbugh tho numbers were not significantly different
(Table 5.1.2)* Cellulose in a inore selective carbon source than
glucoae and therefore tho general soil fungus medium (SP) was used
In the dilution plate technique to give the general range of fungi
present as spores in the material being tested* Using SF medium the
problem in Isolailng 13ýasidiomycetos by the dilution plate technique
was seen an Termitonr yces was only isolated on those plates containing
a lower number of other fungi. This was overcome in the main
experiments by the use of the selective medium for the Isolation of
Termit2=cps (Chapter 3).
There was no significant difference in the number of fungal
colonies developing at the two different temperatures (Table 5*I,, l)*
177*
For the main wcpariments a temperature between these twol of 20-30OC9
was selectedg an this In the optLcntc3 for growth of Tormitamycas and
close to the mean temperature of 30&9'OC maintained in the habitacle
of Kicrotermas ballicosus, mounds (Collins 1977),
Few extra fungi develop on the dilution plates after day 5 (TablV
5*1*2). It in also difficult to distinguish Individual colonies duo
to the covering of the plate3 by the growth of the fungi* Therefore
5 days incubation was chosen As the standard for comparing fungi