ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

loottbmley mul Fuller 1921, Trinervitemps sp., South Africa% Heim
1952al 1977 fladagascarl Helm 194D Trlnp. rvitcýrtrzes trinervius).
P. pistillaris
(Bottomley and Fuller 1921, Trinervitermes spef,
South Africa; Heim 1940 9 Trink-rvitermes trinervius; Alazoadura 1906
i
Nigeria)* Podaxon species are also found associated with Trinervitermes
geminatus Coarctotermes, and Tumulitermen in Africa% India, # Ceylon,
Australia, Mdagascar and Malaysia (Sands 1969)e
(c) other species are found accidentally growino In woody
debris included in the earth of nests*
Basidiomycotina flymenomyceten Aphyllophorales
Genus Ganoderma (Heim 1952a, Cameroons)
G. curtinii Oleim 19771 Madagascar)
Of course many other Imer fungi will be Included in the material
makinf) UP-the nest Structurot foodatore 6xA f%mgus comb (Tables 5.2*99
5*3-. 3). These may develop when the nest is abandoned as has been
previously discussed (cog* Ax22MIllus,
t Penicillitan and TrichodermaLk
2540
Bacteria are also found In ummda of the tiacrotemitinaeo HeLkaljohn
(1965), Investigating Vacrotermen, mounds In Rhodesia fo und cbllulose
decomposers to be very much tmore abundant than In tho s6119 with'
denitrifying bdcteila (Pneudomon., ts., Denitrobacillus) -ýnd'a=Oniflerjs
also Very abUndants Thiv greater'nbundanco may be due to the use of
saliva as a cementing m4uUurs thus 'contributing organic matter. Boyer
(1956) found 20-50% more cellulolytic aerobic flora In the mounds of
Macrotermen belliconus than In the soile The bacteria are present
both as inactive spores and actively feeding on the large qUantLtjes
of organic matter found in the nests* Some bacterial cells are
probably digested when wound material in re-Ingested during reconstruction