ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

R=rIments I and 2s Combsýfrcc 3 different HlcrotomeS speclex
and comb frc= !; geparate--Macrotercma bellicosup mounds were Incubated*
determine$
ýE2ericicatjs A separate experimcnt was set up to trY to
22 31
(1) the effects of the presence of large numbers of termites on
the development of fungi on the combo Soldlerst workers and larvae
were addod to pots ccntaining combo
(2) the effect of washing the cozab in the comb washing appar-atus
(5.8) on the development of fungi on the comb. Comb wax broken. up and
washed for 25 x2 minute washes*
the Pattern of fungal gro'wt'h -thst might on cur on nest structure
and foodstore kept under Identical conditims,
QcMriment 4: Six POU of fOOdstare were placed over water In a
desiccator and kept for a year. The foodstore was then exAmined and
5 frag=nts from each pot plated out onto SF medium.
&j=rlm. cnt-, 5 It has been reported that ZýLlarla mycallum In
antagonistic to Termlt2aces (116iM 19,52a). In order to Inventloate,
this further 10 potri dishes of SF medium had plugs of Ularla and
of Temit2Mces placed on them equidistant from the centre of the
petri disho 10 potri, dishes had only ? Cylaria and In 10 petri dishes
the Temi LaM. ces was Cr%wn for 4 weeks and tho, &larin was then placed
on the plates. The growth of the fungi was recorded after 2 and 4
days*
Results
The results are given In Tables 5.6,1 to