ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

above. He suspected the nature of the relationship of the mycotiate to
the basidiocarp but could not prove it* lie thought the fungus was
eaten by the termites but was not enough to supply food for the larvae
unless the fungal growth was abnormally rapid, lie also considered the
position of Entolomn microcArpum
(n Termitomyces mAcrocaMs). This
develops from pieces of fungus comb ejected from nests by termiteaq
but its connection with termites had not previously been suspectede
Doflein (1906) also described ftmgus combs of Odontotermes
obscuriceps and proved that larvae and nymphs ate the mycotetese
E3cherich (1911) was one of the first to consider the metabolic heat
created by the ftmguj3 gardens
(cited by Datra and Batra 1966)e
In 1913 Patch again discussed and described Entolon. a microcarpum
(Patch 1913a)* lie considered the fungus "spheres" resembled those of
, Aenerita duthiet but there were differences In the degree of differentia-
tion. Ile still had no proof for the association he suspected between
B. microcarTxim and mycotAtes from the combl his opinion being that after
a period In the termite neat the fungus lost its vigour and required
rejuvenating so the termites carried the mycotOteis to the surface,
where they produced basidiocarps, providing spores which the termites
took back to the nests
Patch (1913b) also collected together all the obaervations of
fungal species associated with termite nests@, Those developing on the
fungus comI within the nest while the nest was inhabited by termites
he divided into 2 groupaq
(1) the vhite conidial. spheres (2) A2arlcus
opp. lie collected 16 synonyms for the agaric under the name Collybia
etlburninoja.. The earliest name was LeRiota albuminosa but the general
-opinion was that it was a Collybia.
to have been fruitless, was to establish the link
'His aim, which he considered
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