Termitomyces

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Termitomyces
Termitomyces reticulatus 37340.jpg
Termitomyces reticulatus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Agaricales
Family: Lyophyllaceae
Genus: Termitomyces
R.Heim, 1942 [1]
Type species
Termitomyces striatus
(Beeli) R.Heim
Synonyms [2]

1945 Podabrella Singer
1945 RajapaSinger
1981 SinotermitomycesM.Zang

Contents

Termitomyces, the termite mushrooms, is a genus of basidiomycete fungi belonging to the family Lyophyllaceae. [3] All of which are completely dependent on fungus-growing termites, the Macrotermitinae, to survive, and vice versa. [4] They are the food source for these termites, who enjoy an obligate symbiosis with the genus [5] similar to that between Atta ants and Attamyces mushrooms. Termitomyces mushrooms are edible, and are highly regarded for their flavor. [6]

Characteristics

Termitomyces includes the largest edible mushroom in the world, Termitomyces titanicus of West Africa and Zambia, whose cap reaches 1 metre (3.28 ft) in diameter. [7] It also includes Termitomyces microcarpus that grows caps of a few centimeters in diameter.

These fungi grow on 'combs' which are formed from the termites' excreta, dominated by tough woody fragments. Termitomyces was described by Roger Heim in 1942. [8]

From 1955 to 1969 Arthur French [9] worked in Uganda (as a hobby) on the subject of fungi and termites. Some scientific literature about these fungal species existed previously, but these texts failed to adequately discuss the relationship between termites and their fungal symbiotes, while the various edible varieties were merely termed "termite mushrooms." French conducted some investigations with the help of the elderly Baganda women who gathered termite mushrooms, and published his findings.

Life as a Termitomyces fungus

Some chamber(s) of the nest each contains a structure, called comb or fungus garden, where the fungus dwells. [10] The termites collect and chew up dead wood, leaf litter and other vegetable debris, depositing their primary faeces as new portions of the fungus garden. [11] The fungus grow through the comb. The termites eat spherules [note 1] and old combs. [12]

The fungus forms mushrooms for spreading spores. For most species, the fungus grows long pseudorhizas to the surface of the ground, where mushrooms are formed. [13] For T. microcarpus , the mushrooms grow from fragments of fungus garden that are carried outside the nest by worker termites. [14]

When a new termite colony is established, in most cases, the fungus is introduced through the activities of the termites collecting spores from the environment. [5]

Species

As of July 2023, Species Fungorum accepted 52 species of Termitomyces. [15]

  1. Termitomyces acriumbonatus Usman & Khalid (2020)
  2. Termitomyces albidus (Singer) L.D. Gómez (1995)
  3. Termitomyces aurantiacus (R. Heim) R. Heim (1977)
  4. Termitomyces biyi Otieno (1966)
  5. Termitomyces bulborhizus T.Z. Wei, Y.J. Yao, Bo Wang & Pegler (2004)
  6. Termitomyces citriophyllus R. Heim (1942)
  7. Termitomyces clypeatus R. Heim (1951)
  8. Termitomyces congolensis (Beeli) Singer (1948)
  9. Termitomyces dominicalensis L.D. Gómez (1995)
  10. Termitomyces entolomoides R. Heim (1951)
  11. Termitomyces epipolius (Singer) L.D. Gómez (1995)
  12. Termitomyces eurrhizus (Berk.) R. Heim (1942)
  13. Termitomyces floccosus S.M. Tang, Raspé & S.H. Li (2020)
  14. Termitomyces fragilis L. Ye, Karun, J.C. Xu, K.D. Hyde & Mortimer (2019)
  15. Termitomyces fuliginosus R. Heim (1942)
  16. Termitomyces gilvus C.S. Yee & J.S. Seelan (2020)
  17. Termitomyces globulus R. Heim & Gooss.-Font. (1951)
  18. Termitomyces griseiumbo Mossebo (2003)
  19. Termitomyces heimii Natarajan (1979)
  20. Termitomyces indicus Natarajan (1976)
  21. Termitomyces infundibuliformis Mossebo (2012)
  22. Termitomyces intermedius Har. Takah. & Taneyama (2016)
  23. Termitomyces lanatus R. Heim (1977)
  24. Termitomyces le-testui (Pat.) R. Heim (1942)
  25. Termitomyces magoyensis Otieno (1966)
  26. Termitomyces mammiformis R. Heim (1942)
  27. Termitomyces mboudaeinus Mossebo (2003)
  28. Termitomyces mbuzi Härkönen & Niemelä (2021)
  29. Termitomyces medius R. Heim & Grassé (1951)
  30. Termitomyces microcarpus (Berk. & Broome) R. Heim (1942)
  31. Termitomyces narobiensis Otieno (1966)
  32. Termitomyces perforans R. Heim (1977)
  33. Termitomyces poliomphax (Singer) L.D. Gómez (1995)
  34. Termitomyces rabuorii Otieno (1966)
  35. Termitomyces radicatus Natarajan (1977)
  36. Termitomyces reticulatus Van der Westh. & Eicker (1990)
  37. Termitomyces robustus (Beeli) R. Heim (1951)
  38. Termitomyces sagittiformis (Kalchbr. & Cooke) D.A. Reid (1975)
  39. Termitomyces schimperi (Pat.) R. Heim (1942)
  40. Termitomyces sheikhupurensis Izhar, Khalid & H. Bashir (2020)
  41. Termitomyces singidensis Saarim. & Härk. (1994)
  42. Termitomyces songolarum (Courtec.) Furneaux (2020)
  43. Termitomyces spiniformis R. Heim (1977)
  44. Termitomyces srilankensis Ediriweera, Voto, Karun. & Kularathne (2023)
  45. Termitomyces striatus (Beeli) R. Heim (1942)
  46. Termitomyces subclypeatus Mossebo (2003)
  47. Termitomyces subumkowaan Mossebo (2003)
  48. Termitomyces titanicus Pegler & Piearce (1980)
  49. Termitomyces tylerianus Otieno (1966)
  50. Termitomyces umkowaan (Cooke & Massee) D.A. Reid (1975)
  51. Termitomyces upsilocystidiatus S.M. Tang, Raspé & K.D. Hyde (2020)

Taxonomic identity unknown

  2. Termitomyces meipengianus (M. Zang & D.Z. Zhang) P.M. Kirk (2014)
    • Not a Termitomyces fungus; the actual taxonomic identity of this mushroom is unclear. [16]

Misnomer

  1. Termitomyces albuminosus(Berk.) R.Heim (1941)
    • This name is commonly misused to refer to mushrooms of Termitomyces; [17] [18] the original specimen of T. albuminosus was deemed to be of Macrolepiota and its species name became M. albuminosa . [19]

Other fungi associated with fungus-growing termites

Fungi of Pseudoxylaria, a subgenus of Xylaria , are found in fungus-growing termite combs. [20] Being weedy and controlled by fungus-growing termites, [21] they flourish when the termite nest is deteriorating or deserted. [20]

Lookalikes

Culinary use

This genus is a popular wild seasonal delicacy in many places where it grows. One such place is the Indian state of Goa. For about two weeks at the beginning of August every year, clusters of villagers dot the Goan roadside hawking the handpicked mushrooms. A spicy gravy known as "Tonak" is a popular method of preparation. Since Termitomyces mushrooms are difficult to mass-produce, they command a high price. [23]

Mushroom sellers in Panjim Goa Mushroom sellers.jpg
Mushroom sellers in Panjim Goa

They are also foraged in Malaysia known as cendawan busut ("mound mushroom"). Tamil rubber tappers in Selangor long time ago would find a lot of T. schimperi growing in estate environments not long after raining. [24] : 81 

Notes

  1. ↑ Also known as mycotêtes.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edible mushroom</span> Edible fungi fruit bodies

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fungivore</span> Organism that consumes fungi

Fungivory or mycophagy is the process of organisms consuming fungi. Many different organisms have been recorded to gain their energy from consuming fungi, including birds, mammals, insects, plants, amoebas, gastropods, nematodes, bacteria and other fungi. Some of these, which only eat fungi, are called fungivores whereas others eat fungi as only part of their diet, being omnivores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macrotermitinae</span> Subfamily of termites

The Macrotermitinae, the fungus-growing termites, constitute a subfamily of the family Termitidae that is only found within the Old World tropics.

<i>Lentinus</i> Genus of fungi

Lentinus is a genus of fungi in the family Polyporaceae. The genus is widely distributed, with many species found in subtropical regions.

<i>Termitomyces titanicus</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces titanicus is a species of fungus in the Lyophyllaceae family. Found in West Africa, it has a cap that may reach 1 metre (3 ft) in diameter on a stipe up to 22 inches (57 cm) in length. Termitomyces is symbiotic with termites of the genus Macrotermes who raise the hyphae upon partially digested leaves as their primary foodstuff. T. titanicus was unknown to Western science prior to 1980, even though it was a common item in the native markets. Pegler and Piearce made no attempt to explain its late discovery.

Macrolepiota albuminosa is a species of agaric fungus in the family Agaricaceae, found in Peradeniya, Ceylon.

Amanita zambiana, commonly known as the Zambian slender Caesar, is a basidiomycete fungus in the genus Amanita. An edible mushroom, it is found in Africa, where it is commonly sold in markets.

<i>Termitomyces le-testui</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces le-testui is a species of agaric fungus in the family Lyophyllaceae. It was first described scientifically from Africa by French mycologist Narcisse Théophile Patouillard in 1916, and transferred to the genus Termitomyces by Roger Heim in 1942. The mushroom is edible and used as food.

<i>Termitomyces tylerianus</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces tylerianus is a species of agaric fungus in the family Lyophyllaceae. Found in Africa and China, it was first formally described in 1964. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) grow in groups or clusters near termite nests in deciduous forests. The mushrooms are edible.

<i>Termitomyces microcarpus</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces microcarpus is a species of agaric fungus in the family Lyophyllaceae. An edible species, it is found in Africa and Asia, where it grows in groups or clusters in deciduous forests near the roots of bamboo stumps associated with termite nests.

<i>Termitomyces heimii</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces heimii is a species of agaric fungus in the family Lyophyllaceae. It has symbiotic relationship with termites. Described as new to science in 1979, it is found in India. The specific epithet heimii honors French mycologist Roger Heim. The fruit bodies (mushrooms) produced by the fungus are edible.

<i>Termitomyces schimperi</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces schimperi is a large mushroom associated with the termite species Macrotermes michaelseni. It grows in the northern part of Southern Africa, from northern Namibia up to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), eastwards to Malawi and Mozambique, and westwards to Ivory Coast.

Hypotermes makhamensis is a species of termite in the subfamily Macrotermitinae of the family Termitidae. It lives in dry evergreen forests in tropical south-eastern Asia and builds termite mounds in which it cultivates fungus for use as food.

<i>Macrotermes michaelseni</i> Species of termite

Macrotermes michaelseni is a species of termite in the family Termitidae, found in sub-Saharan Africa. It is associated with the fungus Termitomyces schimperi.

<i>Macrotermes</i> Genus of termites

Macrotermes is a genus of termites belonging to the subfamily Macrotermitinae and widely distributed throughout Africa and South-East Asia. Well-studied species include Macrotermes natalensis and M. bellicosus.

<i>Termitomyces eurrhizus</i> Species of fungus

Termitomyces eurrhizus species of agaric fungus in the family Lyophyllaceae native to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, southwestern China and Malaysia. The fungus has a symbiotic relationship with termites, its mushrooms growing out of mounds after periods of rainfall. It is eaten in Malaysia and the Indian subcontinent.

<i>Macrotermes natalensis</i> Species of termite

Macrotermes natalensis is a fungus-growing termite species that belongs to the genus Macrotermes. This species is associated with the Termitomyces fungal genus. M. natalensis has domesticated Termitomyces to produce food for the colony. Both termite species- fungal genus- are obligate and mutually beneficial where termite relies on the fungus to break down for plant materiel and nutrient resource. In contrast, the fungal species obtain plant material and optimal conditions for growth.

<i>Odontotermes formosanus</i> Species of termite

Odontotermes formosanus is a species of fungus-growing termite in the family Termitidae. It is native to southeastern Asia and was first described from Taiwan. This termite cultivates a symbiotic fungus in a special chamber in the nest. Workers and soldiers gather vegetable detritus which they bring back to the colony, chewing the material to a pulp to make a suitable substrate on which to grow the fungus.

References

  1. ↑ Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA (2008). Dictionary of the Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford, UK: CABI. p. 682. ISBN   978-0-85199-826-8.
  2. ↑ "Termitomyces R. Heim 1942". MycoBank. International Mycological Association. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  3. ↑ Bellanger JM, Moreau PA, Corriol G, Bidaud A, Chalange R, Dudova Z, Richard F (2015). "Plunging hands into the mushroom jar: a phylogenetic framework for Lyophyllaceae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota)". Genetica. 143 (2): 169–94. doi:10.1007/s10709-015-9823-8. PMID   25652231. S2CID   254505216.
  4. ↑ The Biggest Mushroom? — MykoWeb
  5. 1 2 Nobre, T., Aanen, D. K. (1 May 2010). "Dispersion and colonisation by fungus-growing termites". Communicative & Integrative Biology. Taylor & Francis. 3 (3): 248–250. doi:10.4161/cib.3.3.11415. PMC   2918769 . PMID   20714406.
  6. ↑ Turnbull, E., Watling, R. (1 January 1999). "Some Records of Termitomyces from Old World Rainforests". Kew Bulletin. Springer Science+Business Media. 54 (3): 731–738. Bibcode:1999KewBu..54..731T. doi:10.2307/4110869. JSTOR   4110869.
  7. ↑ Ghorai, S., Banik, S. P. (1 January 2011). "Fungal biotechnology in food and feed processing". Comprehensive Biotechnology. p. 613. doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00543-2. ISBN   9780080885049.
  8. ↑ Heim R. (1942). "Nouvelles études descriptives sur les agarics termitophiles d'Afrique tropicale". Archives du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (in French). 18 (6): 107–66.
  9. ↑ French A. (1993). "The Mushroom-Growing Termites of Uganda". Petits Propos Culinaires (44): 35–41.
  10. ↑ Luisa, Bozzano G. (2012). Insect-Fungus Interactions. Academic Press. p. 71. ISBN   978-0-08-098453-7.
  11. ↑ Rouland-Lefèvre, C., Bignell, D. E. (24 February 2006). "Cultivation of symbiotic fungi by termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae". Symbiosis. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology. Vol. 4. p. 737. doi:10.1007/0-306-48173-1_46. ISBN   1-4020-0189-4.
  12. ↑ Batra, S.W.T. (1975). "Termites (Isoptera) Eat and Manipulate Symbiotic Fungi". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 48 (1): 89–92. JSTOR   25082718.
  13. ↑ Boddy, L. (1 January 2016). "Interactions with Humans and Other Animals". The Fungi. p. 332. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-382034-1.00009-8. ISBN   9780123820341.
  14. ↑ Dharumadurai, D. (9 September 2022). Microbial symbionts: Functions and Molecular Interactions on Host. Elsevier. p. 663.
  15. ↑ "Species Fungorum - Termitomyces". www.speciesfungorum.org. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
  16. ↑ Wei, T.-Z., Tang, B.-H., Yao, Y.-J. (2009). "Revision of Termitomyces in China". Mycotaxon. 108 (1): 281. doi: 10.5248/108.257 . ISSN   0093-4666.
  17. ↑ 唐保宏 (2006). 蚁巢伞属系统学及其与共生白蚁的协同进化研究 (PhD thesis). p. 90.
  18. ↑ 羊桂英; 郭梅霞; 于保庭; 胡寅; 莫建初 (2019). "白蚁共生真菌——蚁巢伞属研究概况". 菌物学报. 38 (11): 1753. doi:10.13346/j.mycosystema.190288 (inactive 2024-03-11).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of March 2024 (link)
  19. ↑ Pegler, D. N. (1972). "A revision of the genus Lepiota from Ceylon". Kew Bulletin. 27 (1): 189. Bibcode:1972KewBu..27..155P. doi:10.2307/4117880. ISSN   0075-5974. JSTOR   4117880.
  20. 1 2 Fricke, J., Schalk, F., Kreuzenbeck, N. B., Seibel, E., Hoffmann, J., Dittmann, G., Conlon, B. H., Guo, H., De Beer, Z. W., Vassão, D. G., Gleixner, G., Poulsen, M., Beemelmanns, C. (25 February 2023). "Adaptations of Pseudoxylaria towards a comb-associated lifestyle in fungus-farming termite colonies". The ISME Journal. Nature Portfolio. 17 (5): 733–747. Bibcode:2023ISMEJ..17..733F. doi:10.1038/s41396-023-01374-4. PMC   10119272 . PMID   36841903.
  21. ↑ Katariya, L., Ramesh, P. B., Gopalappa, T., Desireddy, S., Bessière, J.-M., Borges, R. M. (1 October 2017). "Fungus-Farming Termites Selectively Bury Weedy Fungi that Smell Different from Crop Fungi". Journal of Chemical Ecology. Springer Science+Business Media. 43 (10): 986–995. Bibcode:2017JCEco..43..986K. doi:10.1007/s10886-017-0902-4. PMID   29124530. S2CID   254656744.
  22. ↑ Phan Chia Wei (17 December 2018). "Preventing fatal harvest of mushrooms". Asia Research News. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  23. ↑ "Wild Mushrooms of Goa". 5 August 2013.
  24. ↑ Hilton, Roger N.; Dhitaphichit, Pannee (1993). "Procedures in Thai Etnomycology". Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society. 41 (2): 75–92.

See Tobias Frøslev's Termitomyces page And an academic review of the relationship in Patterns of interaction specificity of fungus-growing termites and Termitomyces symbionts in South Africa Aanenet DK al BMC Evol Biol. 2007; 7: 115.

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