ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

ABSTRACT
The relationship between termites of the sub-family Macro-
termitinae and the symbiotic Basidiomycete fungus Termitomyces was
investigated.
Fieldwork was carried out on several termite species at Mokwa
in the Southern Guinea savanna vegetation zone of Nigeria.
Termitomyces in nature and in culture is described.
A selective medium was developed to facilitate isolation of
Tenaitanyces. Optimum conditions of temperature and p11 for
Termitomyces cultures associated with different termite species were
found to be 29°C and 5.2.
The appearance, production of cultural mycotetes, blastospore
size and germination of Termitomyces in culture was investigated.
The cultures from different termite species could not be separated
by these criteria.
Methods were established for investigating the microbial ecology
of Macrotermitinae nests, The fungal population and numbers and
location of TemiteMces, was, detemined for Nacrotermes bellicosuss
Macrotermes subhyalinusq Hicratemes species and for adjacent soilse
Termitomyces was only found In the fungus combo Other fungi were
present there only as sporest but when the comb was removed from
the nest these grew rapidlys A substance was found in extracts of
foodstore and termites preventing gemination of contaminant fungi.
Termitomycea was present in the digestive tract of Microtermes
foragers but only in very few Macrotermes bellicosus and Macroternnes
subhyalinus
foragers.
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