Ecology of Ambrosia Fungi and Their Dissemination by Beetles

Abstract

In recent years (7, 11, 15, 18) many interesting facets of symbiosis have been investigated and this has led to the study of relationships between ambrosia beetles and their fungi, which together occupy a welldefined ecological niche. Microbial aspects of this association were largely neglected in the past or casual field observations on ambrosia fungi were recorded by workers studying the habits and habitats of the insect partners. Some of the broad objectives of the present study were: (a) to study as many ambrosia fungi as possible in pure culture; (b) to rear some of the ambrosia beetles under controlled conditions and study their general behavior in relation to the accompanying microflora; (c) to study the factors and mechanisms involved in perpetuation of symbiosis between the beetle and the fungus; and (d) to study the possible role of ambrosia beetles as vectors of non-ambrosia fungi. Endosymbiosis between microorganisms and certain lower animals has recently been reviewed (15, 18) and a comprehensive monograph on the subject by Buchner (7) appeared a few years ago. Microbial ectosymbiosis, however, has received comparatively less attention. Ambrosia fungi are predominantly ectosymbiotes and much of the early literature on symbiosis between ambrosia beetles and fungi was recently reviewed (11).