ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

in Table 6.2.7 miy be Indorrects If we accept this then thera; does
seem to'be a pattern of speciesof Termit=cps being associated with
genera of termites* 'The degree of specificity needs to be determined
Airther by simultaneous collections of'baAldlocarps and the associated
tormitee
(2) Collection of ba3ldioaMrom by the first foragipa-r! rties
of newly!. established colontes
Evidence from Nigeria concerning the aYnchronisation of the
occurrence of basidlocarps In the field and the building of the fungus
comb in now colonies (TAblo 6*2.6) shown that basidiospores were
3(Yko
available in the field at the time the first foraging workers were active
and gathering material to met up the new fungus c(xmb, For other termite
species the evidence required to correlate fruitingg the flight of
alates and the appearance of the primordial fungus cozib in not available*
At Kinshasat In the Republic of Zaires alates of Psoudacanthotermes,
militarin
(a non-carrier Table 6*2*5) Usually fly towards the end-of
April and basidi'dcarps of Tervitom. ycen, associated with- them have been
observed from the-end of September to the middle of October (Van Ryn
1
1074)l an interval of approximately five monthas In Moudacanthotermen
spjni. Cer (also a non-carrier)'the primordial fungus comb was not
observed until Moro than 200 days'after colony foundation commencede
If the two Species have a similar pattern of colony development thils
would mean basidip3pores would be available when foraging cocmenced.
There are therefore differences between different specLest the delay
between flight *nd fruiting being 2 to 3 months In the Nigerian species
studieds 5 months for P. militaris and I to 2 months for Odontoterme3
badlus (COatOn 19619 VAn RYn 1974).