ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

which-aro 2-4 cm in diameter and dispersed through the soil* During
the dry season the =ount of fungus comb decreases In the top 50 cm
of soil an the termites consume the comb without replacement
and Jolumon 19704, At the start of the rains the termites begin
foraging and building up new fungus comb and there are probably
(Wood
insufficient reserves of Mycolium and fungus comb to support basidlocarp
develo; =ente Alternatively, a reason for the absence of basidiocarps in
that carrier tesmito species do not need to distribute spores by this
methott.
ScxuAl reproduction is most likely to occur when a vigorous mycellum
starts to exhaust Its nutrients (Cochrane 1958). Nutrients are necessary
3o6.
for initiation and probably differentiation of the basidlocarp prLmordiums
different species of fungi having specific requirements for the nutrient
concentrations necessary to form fruiting structures* The fomatioh of
fruiting structures occurs over a narrower range of nutrient concentra-
tions than does veoetative growth (Cochrane 19:.,
)8). The concentration of
the carbon sourco in usually Pore important than that of the other
nutrientsg spore formation usually Occurring when the carbon source is
becoming exhauatede Therefore the production of frultbodlos to probably
highly dependant, on the nutritional state of the fungus comb* In
Ancistrote=es cavithorax those ccmbs producing fruitbodies aro usually
covered with a greater mycelial growth of Temit, myces, s And no
mycot-etes arc pre3ento They fall apart more cAsily on handling and
are lighter In colour than fresh comb. Also the part of tho comb from
which fruiting originated was abandoned by the tezuLtest although they
could still be adding fresh material to other parts of the ccmb. In
general the CO1%1b
was more or loss Abandoned by the tarmitc3q often
tOt&llY9 and thCrQ were no larvao, pre-sento ThO termites could still