Termitomyces

Key takeaways

Termitomyces belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Termitomyces to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Termitomyces from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Termitomyces is a genus of basidiomycete fungi known as termite mushrooms in Lyophyllaceae family farmed by fungus-growing termites. The fungi and the termites interdepend to live, as the termites house and culture the fungi, and the fungi in turn provide foods for the termites. Often after a raining, the fungi grow mushrooms, which are edible and 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

Comb-associated saprotrophy Some chamber(s) of the fungus-growing termite nest each contains an object, called comb or fungus garden, where the fungus dwells. The comb is formed from the termites' excreta – the termites collect and chew up dead wood, leaf litter and other vegetable debris, depositing their primary faeces, which contain asexual Termitomyces spores the termites previously consumed, as new portions of the fungus garden. The spores comes from another object the termites consumed – little balls that grow on the comb called spherules. Thereafter, the Termitomyces fungus grows through the comb. Old combs are eaten by termites as well.

Opportunist antagonist Pseudoxylaria Fungi of Pseudoxylaria (termite-associated Xylaria, a subgenus of Xylaria) are found in fungus-growing termite combs. Suppressed by fungus-growing termites, they flourish at the price of the Termitomyces fungus when the termite nest is deteriorating or deserted.

Reproduction When a new termite colony is established, in most cases, the Termitomyces fungus is introduced through the activities of the termites collecting spores from the environment. For spreading spores, the Termitomyces fungus forms mushrooms. For most species, the fungus grows rooting stipes (pseudorhizas) to the surface of the ground, where mushrooms are formed. For Termitomyces microcarpus, the mushrooms grow from fungus garden fragments that are carried outside the nest by worker termites. On the other hand, Termitomyces cryptogamus is not found to grow a mushroom in nature.

Research history Termitomyces was described by Roger Heim in 1942. From 1955 to 1969 Arthur French 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.

Culinary use In the Philippines, they are highly-prized and are foraged regularly during the rainy season since ancient times, alongside other edible local mushroom species. They are associated with termite mounds (punso) and are known under various different names including kabuting punso (lit. "termite mound mushroom") and mamarang in Tagalog; ohong or ohom in Cebuano; and o-ong in various Cordilleran languages. They are 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. They are widely eaten across India.

Lookalikes Many cases of mushroom poisoning in Malaysia happen because Chlorophyllum molybdites look similar to Termitomyces fungi.

Species Species of Termitomyces included in Species Fungorum, 52 as of July 2023, are enumerated.

Reidentified as external Macrolepiota albuminosa (Berk.) Pegler (1972) / Termitomyces albuminosus (Berk.) R.Heim (1941) — The original specimens were identified as termite mushrooms by Petch (1912). However, this identification failed to take their microscopic morphology into account. In a position outside the Termitomyces genus; identified by Pegler (1986) as the same species as Leucocoprinus cepistipes. Sinotermitomyces meipengianus M. Zang & D.Z. Zhang (2004) / Termitomyces meipengianus (M. Zang & D.Z. Zhang) P.M. Kirk (2014) — In a position outside the Termitomyces genus; likely in Xerula, Oudemansiella or a position nearby.

Notes

See also Fungus-growing ants Fungus-growing beetle

References

External links Tobias Frøslev's Termitomyces page Patterns of interaction specificity of fungus-growing termites and Termitomyces symbionts in South Africa Image of a Termitomyces UN FAO report about Wild edible fungi

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Termitomyces

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Termitomyces claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Termitomyces before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Termitomyces ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Termitomyces

In research: Termitomyces appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Termitomyces in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Termitomyces is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Agaricales genera, Edible fungi, Lyophyllaceae, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Termitomyces outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Termitomyces in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Termitomyces means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Termitomyces out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Termitomyces in simple terms?

Termitomyces is a genus of basidiomycete fungi known as termite mushrooms in Lyophyllaceae family farmed by fungus-growing termites. The fungi and the termites interdepend to live, as the termites house and culture the fungi, and the fungi in turn provide foods for the termites.

Why does Termitomyces matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Termitomyces?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Termitomyces.