ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

symbiosis. - The fungus doea not OtILEM outside the environment provided by
the termites and in dependant on the tormitets to provide food* The
termLtes cannot establish viable colonies without the presence of
Termitomnem on tlie fungus ccob.
Haimls view of the relationshIp led him to propone (11olin 1977)
that tho progression of the evolution was that the Ditormitomyces.
which grow through the soil from the underground combs, were followed
by the Praetermit2=cps which the termites expelled from the nest. The
next step was the non-basidiocarp forming Termlt2Mces of the Madagascar
9
373o
MicrotormeM., and finally the most advanced being ýýhaeroternen sphaerotharax
which has got rid of the mycotOten " mycolim an wall,
There must be both advantages and disadvantages to this relationship
for the temitcs# with the advantages winning As the Macrotermitinae are
very successful, for example dominating the termite fauna of the West
African savannas
(Wood
and Sands 1978)e Species such an FIncrotermes
be. ilicosus are able to produce very large stablo colonies which may
continue for 20 years* Tho fungus enables them to exploit sound wood
and crops which may be Inaccessible to other species, resultino In
Microtermes being one of the major termite crop pests. The fungus
enables them to utilize the food more efficiently with funguz combs
being completely recycled* In contrast the carton of other species
still contains 110nin and collulosoe
Disadvantages Include the fact that far more food has to bo
collected than In species without fUngit resulting In an IncrVased drain
on the Colony's resources by predation on forager** Foundation of new
colonLoo is made an even more risky business by the necessity of establishing