First record of the termite ectoparasite Laboulbeniopsis termitarius thaxter in Japan

Publication date: May 2018Source: Mycoscience, Volume 59, Issue 3Author(s): Ikhsan Guswenrivo, Hiroki Sato, Izumi Fujimoto, Tsuyoshi YoshimuraAbstractLaboulbeniopsis termitarius, an ectoparasitic fungus of termites, was harvested from the body surface of Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), collected in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. This is the first record of this fungus from Japan. Three to eighteen termite workers from 500 individuals were infected among the eight colonies investigated. From our results, several hundred termite are required for the survey of this ectoparasitic fungi in Japan. The temperature effect on the relationship between the infection rate and the host activity was discussed.

Source: Mycoscience - July 11, 2018 Category: Biology Source Type: research