Insect-Fungal Interactions. Insects Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Insecta Six...
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Transcript of Insect-Fungal Interactions. Insects Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Insecta Six...
Insect-Fungal Interactions
InsectsKingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Insecta
Six jointed legs, exoskeletonApx 1 million described species
FungiKingdom: Fungi70,000 described species; may be over 1.5 millionImmobile like plants, but like animals: can break down organic material for nutrients
Insect-Fungal Interactions
Possible Relationships
Fungivory: insect eats fungusMutualism: both insect and fungus benefitsParasitism: fungus lives on/inside insect and the insect suffersCommensalism: one benefits, the other is unaffected
Insect Fungivores: Springtails
Springtails: thousands of these per square foot in forests: feed on fungus as leaves and wood rot
Parasitism: Fungal Diseases
Behavioral EffectsFeeding reduction: give fungus less nutrients
Insect may bask in sun to kill fungus
Just before death: insect often moves to a high spot