|
Termitophile
Termitophiles are macro-organisms adapted to live in association with termites or their nests. They include vertebrates, invertebrates and fungi and can either be obligate termitophiles (those that cannot live without the termites) or non-obligate termitophiles (those that can live independently and make use of the termite nests facultatively or opportunistically). Termitophiles may spend a just a part or the whole of their lifecycle inside a termite nest. The term termitariophily has been suggested as a term to describe the situation where a foreign organism merely uses the termite nest. Termites live in colonies and construct nests whose environments are controlled. The temperature, humidity, and other conditions inside the nests may be more favourable than the outdoor environment for the termitophiles while potentially also making use of the food resources within the nest, including the fungi grown by the colony or the eggs or larvae being reared. Termitophilous insects avoid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Termitotrox Cupido Holotype, Antero-lateral View - ZooKeys-254-089-g001-2
Termitotroginae is a monotypic subfamily of the family Scarabaeidae, the scarab beetles. The only genus in the subfamily is ''Termititrox''. A second genus, ''Aphodiocopris'', Arrow, 1920, has been synonym (taxonomy), synonymised with ''Termitotrox''. All known members of this subfamily are tiny, blind and flightless, and are Termitophile, termitophiles, dwelling within the fungal gardens of colonies of species of termite in Africa or tropical Asia. Termitotrogins are characterised by having no eyes and no wings, and their pronotum and elytra have a distinctive patterning of ribs and grooves. The function of the beetles in the termite colony is unclear but it seems that they are likely to be obligatory termitophiles and somehow play an important role in the nest environment of their fungus-growing hosts. Species The following species are included in the genus ''Termitotrox'': *''Termitotrox ancoroides'' (Petrovitz, 1956) – Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo *''Termitotr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Inquiline
In zoology, an inquiline (from Latin ''inquilinus'', "lodger" or "tenant") is an animal that lives commensally in the nest, burrow, or dwelling place of an animal of another species. For example, some organisms, such as insects, may live in the homes of gophers or the garages of humans and feed on debris, fungi, roots, etc. The most widely distributed types of inquiline are those found in association with the nests of social insects, especially ants and termites – a single colony may support dozens of different inquiline species. The distinctions between parasites, social parasites, and inquilines are subtle, and many species may fulfill the criteria for more than one of these, as inquilines do exhibit many of the same characteristics as parasites. However, parasites are specifically ''not'' inquilines, because by definition they have a deleterious effect on the host species, while inquilines have not been confirmed to do so. In the specific case of termites, the term " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Symphiles
Symphiles are insects or other organisms which live as welcome guests in the nest of a social insect (such as the ant, myrmecophily, or termite, termitophily) by which they are fed and guarded. The relationship between the symphile and host may be symbiotic, inquiline or parasitic. Symphile taxa This is a selection of taxa exhibiting symphilia, not a complete list. ''Fibularhizoctonia'' '' Fibularhizoctonia'', sometimes referred to as cuckoo fungus due to their adaptation to mimic termite eggs, employ chemical and morphological mimicry to benefit from the defense termites provide their brood. If termite workers are present to care for a brood which contains cuckoo fungus, the sclerotia, or "termite balls", are unlikely to germinate and their presence will increase the survival rate of the termite eggs. When worker termites were experimentally removed from brood that contained slerotia, the fungus germinated by exploiting the termite eggs. This means the termitophilic relationshi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Myrmecophily
thumb , Myrmecophilous aphids being tended by ants Myrmecophily ( , ) consists of positive, mutualistic, interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. It may also include commensal or even parasitic interactions. A "myrmecophile" is an animal that associates with ants. An estimated 10,000 species of ants (Formicidae) are known, with a higher diversity in the tropics. In most terrestrial ecosystems, ants are ecologically and numerically dominant, being the main invertebrate predators. As a result, ants play a key role in controlling arthropod richness, abundance, and community structure. Some evidence shows that the evolution of myrmecophilous interactions has contributed to the abundance and ecological success of ants, by ensuring a dependable and energy-rich food supply, thus providing a competitive advantage for ants over other invertebrate predators. Most myrmecophilous associations are opportunistic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Termitomyces
''Termitomyces'' is a genus of the termite mushrooms, the basidiomycete fungi belonging to the family Lyophyllaceae. ''Termitomyces'' fungi and fungus-farming termites (Macrotermitinae) co-depend to survive, as the termites house and culture the fungi, and the fungi in turn provide foods for the termites. ''Termitomyces'' mushrooms are edible, and are highly regarded for their flavor. Morphology ''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. It also includes '' Termitomyces microcarpus'' that grows caps of a few centimeters in diameter. Life as a ''Termitomyces'' fungus These fungi grow on 'combs' which are formed from the termites' excreta, dominated by tough woody fragments. Some chamber(s) of the nest each contains a structure, called comb or fungus garden, where the fungus dwells. The termites collect and chew up dead wood, leaf litter and oth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xylaria
''Xylaria'' is a genus of ascomycetous fungi commonly found growing on dead wood. The name comes from the Greek ''xýlon'' meaning ''wood'' (see xylem). 'Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa' by Wijayawardene et al. lists up to (ca. 571) species (in 2020), and around 454 records are listed by Species Fungorum (including synonyms). Two of the common species of the genus are '' Xylaria hypoxylon'' and '' Xylaria polymorpha''. '' Xylaria hypoxylon'', known by the common names stag's horn and candle-snuff fungus, is the most conspicuous because of its erect, 3–7 cm tall, antler-like ascocarps (fruitbodies) which are black at the base (where the perithecia are embedded) but white and branched towards the top, where the fruiting bodies produce white conidia A conidium ( ; : conidia), sometimes termed an asexual chlamydospore or chlamydoconidium (: chlamydoconidia), is an asexual, non- motile spore of a fungus. The word ''conidium'' comes from the Ancient Greek wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basidiobolus
''Basidiobolus'' is a fungus genus. It was circumscribed by the mycologist in 1886, with ''Basidiobolus ranarum'' assigned as the type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe .... Species References Fungus genera Entomophthorales Taxa described in 1886 {{Fungus-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phoridae
The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking flight. This behaviour is a source of one of their alternate names, scuttle fly. Another vernacular name, coffin fly, refers to '' Conicera tibialis''. About 4,000 species are known in 230 genera. The most well-known species is cosmopolitan '' Megaselia scalaris''. At 0.4 mm in length, the world's smallest fly is the phorid '' Euryplatea nanaknihali''. Description Phorid flies are minute or small – 0.5–6 mm (– in) in length. When viewed from the side, a pronounced hump to the thorax is seen. Their colours range from usually black or brown to more rarely yellow, orange, pale grey, and pale white. The head is usually rounded and in some species narrowed towards the vertex. The vertex is flat. In some species, the ocellar callus is swollen and highly raised above the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coatonachthodes Ovambolandicus
''Coatonachthodes ovambolandicus'' is a termite-mimicking beetle which lives as a parasite in their nests. It looks roughly like a termite from above, though its legs look like "twisted balloons"Dawkins, R. (1996) ''Climbing Mount Improbable''. New York: Norton. 340 p. rather than real insect legs. This less than accurate emulation can be explained by looking at the beetle from the side rather than down at its dorsum. The beetle's head and leg-bearing thorax are minuscule relative to its large abdomen. This part of the body is bent back towards the anterior (head) end, covering the rest of its body. It is the abdomen alone which is visible from above, providing a deceptive 'umbrella' that looks like a termite. The rear end thus acts as the termite 'head', and its appendages (legs and antennae) are composed of moving flaps attached to the abdomen's upper side. The genus is named after the collector of the specimen W. G. H. Coaton. Although the mimicry is not as convincing as th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
