View source for Termitomyces

{{Short description|Genus of fungi}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Termitomyces reticulatus 37340.jpg
| image_caption = ''Termitomyces reticulatus''
| taxon = Termitomyces
| authority = [[Roger Heim|R.Heim]], 1942<ref name=Kirk2008/>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="urlMycoBank: Termitomyces"/>
| type_species = ''Termitomyces striatus''
| type_species_authority = ([[Maurice Beeli|Beeli]]) R.Heim
| synonyms = 1945 ''Podabrella'' <small>[[Rolf Singer|Singer]]</small><br />
1945 ''Rajapa'' <small>Singer</small><br />
1981 ''Sinotermitomyces'' <small>M.Zang</small>
}}

'''''Termitomyces''''', the termite mushrooms, is a [[genus]] of [[Basidiomycota|basidiomycete]] fungi belonging to the family [[Lyophyllaceae]].<ref name="Bellanger 2015" /> All species in the genus are completely dependent on fungus-growing termites, the [[Macrotermitinae]], to survive, and vice versa.<ref>[http://www.mykoweb.com/articles/BiggestMushroom.html The Biggest Mushroom? — MykoWeb]</ref> They are the food source for these termites, who enjoy an obligate [[symbiosis]] with the genus<ref name="NobreAanen2010" /> similar to that between ''[[Atta (genus)|Atta]]'' ants and ''[[Attamyces]]'' mushrooms. ''Termitomyces'' mushrooms are edible, and are highly regarded for their flavor.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors=((Turnbull, E.)), ((Watling, R.)) | journal=Kew Bulletin | title=Some Records of Termitomyces from Old World Rainforests | volume=54 | issue=3 | pages=731–738 | publisher=Springer Science+Business Media | date=1 January 1999 | url=https://doi.org/10.2307/4110869 | doi=10.2307/4110869| jstor=4110869 | bibcode=1999KewBu..54..731T }}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
''Termitomyces'' includes the largest edible mushroom in the world, ''[[Termitomyces titanicus]]'' of West Africa and Zambia, whose cap reaches 1 metre (3.28&nbsp;ft) in diameter.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors=((Ghorai, S.)), ((Banik, S. P.)) | title=Comprehensive Biotechnology | date=1 January 2011 | chapter=Fungal biotechnology in food and feed processing | pages=613 | chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00543-2 | doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-088504-9.00543-2| isbn=9780080885049 }}</ref> It also includes ''[[Termitomyces microcarpus]]'' that grows caps of a few centimeters in diameter.

These fungi grow on 'combs' which are formed from the termites' excreta, dominated by tough woody fragments. ''Termitomyces'' was described by [[Roger Heim]] in 1942.<ref name=Heim1942/>

From 1955 to 1969 Arthur French <ref name=French1993/> 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.

==Life as a ''Termitomyces'' fungus==

Some chamber(s) of the nest each contains a structure, called comb or fungus garden, where the fungus dwells.<ref name=Luisa>{{cite book|author=Luisa, Bozzano G.|title=Insect-Fungus Interactions|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DwO5_3N7sSAC&pg=PA71 |year=2012 |publisher=Academic Press |isbn=978-0-08-098453-7 |pages=71}}</ref> The termites collect and chew up dead wood, leaf litter and other vegetable debris, depositing their primary faeces as new portions of the fungus garden.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors=((Rouland-Lefèvre, C.)), ((Bignell, D. E.)) | title=Symbiosis | date=24 February 2006 | chapter=Cultivation of symbiotic fungi by termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae | series=Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology | volume=4 | pages=737 | chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-48173-1_46 | doi=10.1007/0-306-48173-1_46| isbn=1-4020-0189-4 }}</ref> The fungus grow through the comb. The termites eat spherules{{refn|group=note|Also known as mycotêtes.}} and old combs.<ref name=Batra>{{cite journal |author=Batra, S.W.T. |year=1975 |title=Termites (Isoptera) Eat and Manipulate Symbiotic Fungi |journal=Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society  |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=89–92 |jstor=25082718 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25082718 }}</ref>

The fungus forms mushrooms for spreading spores. For most species, the fungus grows long pseudorhizas to the surface of the ground, where mushrooms are formed.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors=((Boddy, L.)) | title=The Fungi | date=1 January 2016 | chapter=Interactions with Humans and Other Animals | pages=332 | chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-382034-1.00009-8 | doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-382034-1.00009-8| isbn=9780123820341 }}</ref> For ''[[Termitomyces microcarpus|T. microcarpus]]'', the mushrooms grow from fragments of fungus garden that are carried outside the nest by worker termites.<ref>{{cite book | vauthors=((Dharumadurai, D.)) | date=9 September 2022 | title=Microbial symbionts: Functions and Molecular Interactions on Host | page = 663|publisher=Elsevier}}</ref>

When a new termite colony is established, in most cases, the fungus is introduced through the activities of the termites collecting spores from the environment.<ref name="NobreAanen2010">{{cite journal | vauthors=((Nobre, T.)), ((Aanen, D. K.)) | journal=Communicative & Integrative Biology | title=Dispersion and colonisation by fungus-growing termites | volume=3 | issue=3 | pages=248–250 | publisher=Taylor & Francis | date=1 May 2010 | url=https://doi.org/10.4161/cib.3.3.11415 | doi=10.4161/cib.3.3.11415| pmid=20714406 | pmc=2918769 }}</ref>

== Species ==
{{As of|2023|July}}, [[Index Fungorum#Current names in Index Fungorum (Species Fungorum)|Species Fungorum]] accepted 52 species of ''Termitomyces''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Species Fungorum - Termitomyces |url=http://www.speciesfungorum.org/names/names.asp?strGenus=Termitomyces&GSD=Yes |access-date=2023-07-29|website=www.speciesfungorum.org}}</ref>

# ''[[Termitomyces acriumbonatus]]'' <small>Usman & Khalid (2020)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces albidus]]'' <small>(Singer) L.D. Gómez (1995)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces aurantiacus]]'' <small>(R. Heim) R. Heim (1977)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces biyi]]'' <small>Otieno (1966)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces bulborhizus]]'' <small>T.Z. Wei, Y.J. Yao, Bo Wang & Pegler (2004)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces citriophyllus]]'' <small>R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces clypeatus]]'' <small>R. Heim (1951)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces congolensis]]'' <small>(Beeli) Singer (1948)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces dominicalensis]]'' <small>L.D. Gómez (1995)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces entolomoides]]'' <small>R. Heim (1951)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces epipolius]]'' <small>(Singer) L.D. Gómez (1995)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces eurrhizus]]'' <small>(Berk.) R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces floccosus]]'' <small>S.M. Tang, Raspé & S.H. Li (2020)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces fragilis]]'' <small>L. Ye, Karun, J.C. Xu, K.D. Hyde & Mortimer (2019)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces fuliginosus]]'' <small>R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces gilvus]]'' <small>C.S. Yee & J.S. Seelan (2020)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces globulus]]'' <small>R. Heim & Gooss.-Font. (1951)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces griseiumbo]]'' <small>Mossebo (2003)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces heimii]]'' <small>Natarajan (1979)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces indicus]]'' <small>Natarajan (1976)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces infundibuliformis]]'' <small>Mossebo (2012)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces intermedius]]'' <small>Har. Takah. & Taneyama (2016)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces lanatus]]'' <small>R. Heim (1977)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces le-testui]]'' <small>(Pat.) R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces magoyensis]]'' <small>Otieno (1966)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces mammiformis]]'' <small>R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces mboudaeinus]]'' <small>Mossebo (2003)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces mbuzi]]'' <small>Härkönen & Niemelä (2021)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces medius]]'' <small>R. Heim & Grassé (1951)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces microcarpus]]'' <small>(Berk. & Broome) R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces narobiensis]]'' <small>Otieno (1966)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces perforans]]'' <small>R. Heim (1977)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces poliomphax]]'' <small>(Singer) L.D. Gómez (1995)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces rabuorii]]'' <small>Otieno (1966)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces radicatus]]'' <small>Natarajan (1977)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces reticulatus]]'' <small>Van der Westh. & Eicker (1990)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces robustus]]'' <small>(Beeli) R. Heim (1951)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces sagittiformis]]'' <small>(Kalchbr. & Cooke) D.A. Reid (1975)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces schimperi]]'' <small>(Pat.) R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces sheikhupurensis]]'' <small>Izhar, Khalid & H. Bashir (2020)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces singidensis]]'' <small>Saarim. & Härk. (1994)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces songolarum]]'' <small>(Courtec.) Furneaux (2020)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces spiniformis]]'' <small>R. Heim (1977)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces srilankensis]]'' <small>Ediriweera, Voto, Karun. & Kularathne (2023)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces striatus]]'' <small>(Beeli) R. Heim (1942)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces subclypeatus]]'' <small>Mossebo (2003)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces subumkowaan]]'' <small>Mossebo (2003)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces titanicus]]'' <small>Pegler & Piearce (1980)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces tylerianus]]'' <small>Otieno (1966)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces umkowaan]]'' <small>(Cooke & Massee) D.A. Reid (1975)</small>
# ''[[Termitomyces upsilocystidiatus]]'' <small>S.M. Tang, Raspé & K.D. Hyde (2020)</small>

=== Taxonomic identity unknown ===

#<li value="52">''[[Termitomyces meipengianus]]'' <small>(M. Zang & D.Z. Zhang) P.M. Kirk (2014)</small></li>
#* Not a ''Termitomyces'' fungus; the actual taxonomic identity of this mushroom is unclear.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors=((Wei, T.-Z.)), ((Tang, B.-H.)), ((Yao, Y.-J.)) | journal=Mycotaxon | title=Revision of Termitomyces in China | volume=108 | issue=1 | pages=281 | date= 2009 | issn=0093-4666 | doi=10.5248/108.257| doi-access=free }}</ref>

=== Misnomer ===

# ''Termitomyces albuminosus'' <small>(Berk.) R.Heim (1941)</small>
#* This name is commonly misused to refer to mushrooms of ''Termitomyces'';<ref>{{Cite thesis |degree=PhD |chapter= |title= 蚁巢伞属系统学及其与共生白蚁的协同进化研究 |author=唐保宏 |year=2006 |page=90}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| author=羊桂英 |author2=郭梅霞|author3=于保庭|author4=胡寅|author5=莫建初| title=白蚁共生真菌——蚁巢伞属研究概况 | journal=菌物学报 | year= 2019 | volume= 38 | issue= 11 | pages= 1753 | doi=10.13346/j.mycosystema.190288 | pmc= | url=http://manu40.magtech.com.cn/Jwxb/CN/10.13346/j.mycosystema.190288 }}</ref> the original specimen of ''T. albuminosus'' was deemed to be of ''Macrolepiota'' and its species name became ''[[Macrolepiota albuminosa|M. albuminosa]]''.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors=((Pegler, D. N.)) | journal=Kew Bulletin | title=A revision of the genus Lepiota from Ceylon | volume=27 | issue=1 | pages=189 | date= 1972 | url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/4117880 | issn=0075-5974 | doi=10.2307/4117880| jstor=4117880 | bibcode=1972KewBu..27..155P }}

</ref>

== Other fungi associated with fungus-growing termites==
Fungi of ''Pseudoxylaria'', a subgenus of ''[[Xylaria]]'', are found in fungus-growing termite combs.<ref name="Frickeetal2023">{{cite journal | vauthors=((Fricke, J.)), ((Schalk, F.)), ((Kreuzenbeck, N. B.)), ((Seibel, E.)), ((Hoffmann, J.)), ((Dittmann, G.)), ((Conlon, B. H.)), ((Guo, H.)), ((De Beer, Z. W.)), ((Vassão, D. G.)), ((Gleixner, G.)), ((Poulsen, M.)), ((Beemelmanns, C.)) | journal=The ISME Journal | title=Adaptations of Pseudoxylaria towards a comb-associated lifestyle in fungus-farming termite colonies | volume=17 | issue=5 | pages=733–747 | publisher=Nature Portfolio | date=25 February 2023 | url=https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-023-01374-4 | doi=10.1038/s41396-023-01374-4| pmid=36841903 | pmc=10119272 | bibcode=2023ISMEJ..17..733F }}</ref> Being weedy and controlled by fungus-growing termites,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors=((Katariya, L.)), ((Ramesh, P. B.)), ((Gopalappa, T.)), ((Desireddy, S.)), ((Bessière, J.-M.)), ((Borges, R. M.)) | journal=Journal of Chemical Ecology | title=Fungus-Farming Termites Selectively Bury Weedy Fungi that Smell Different from Crop Fungi | volume=43 | issue=10 | pages=986–995 | publisher=Springer Science+Business Media | date=1 October 2017 | url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-017-0902-4 | doi=10.1007/s10886-017-0902-4| pmid=29124530 | bibcode=2017JCEco..43..986K | s2cid=254656744 }}</ref> they flourish when the termite nest is deteriorating or deserted.<ref name="Frickeetal2023"/>

== Lookalikes ==

* Many cases of mushroom poisoning in [[Malaysia]] happen because ''[[Chlorophyllum molybdites]]'' look similar to Termitomyces fungi.<ref name="ARN">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.asiaresearchnews.com/html/article.php/aid/12290/cid/2/research/medicine/university_of_malaya/preventing_fatal_harvest_of_mushrooms.html |title=Preventing fatal harvest of mushrooms |author=Phan Chia Wei<!-- exct nm --> |date=17 December 2018 |magazine=Asia Research News |access-date=14 July 2023 }}</ref>

== Culinary use == 
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.<ref name="NHBotSS">{{cite journal |last1=Hilton |first1=Roger N. |last2=Dhitaphichit |first2=Pannee |date=1993 |title=Procedures in Thai Etnomycology |url=https://thesiamsociety.org/nhbss_publications/vol-41-no-2-1993/|journal=Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society |volume=41 |number=2 |pages=75–92 }}</ref>{{rp|81}} They are widely eaten across India.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Karun N.C. |author2=Sridhar K.R. |year=2013 |title=Occurrence and distribution of Termitomyces (Basidiomycota, Agaricales) in the Western Ghats and on the west coast of India |url=http://czechmycology.org/_cmo/CM65207.pdf |journal=Czech Mycol. |volume=65 |issue=2 |pages=233–254|doi=10.33585/cmy.65207 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sharma |first1=Roshi |last2=Sharma |first2=Yash Pal |last3=Hashmi |first3=Sayed Azhar Jawad |last4=Kumar |first4=Sanjeev |last5=Manhas |first5=Rajesh Kumar |date=2022 |title=Ethnomycological study of wild edible and medicinal mushrooms in district Jammu, J&K (UT), India |journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |language=en |volume=18 |issue=1 |page=23 |doi=10.1186/s13002-022-00521-z |doi-access=free |issn=1746-4269 |pmc=8953059 |pmid=35331275}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Karun |first1=Namera C. |last2=Sridhar |first2=Kandikere R. |date=2017 |title=Edible wild mushrooms of the Western Ghats: Data on the ethnic knowledge |journal=Data in Brief |language=en |volume=14 |pages=320–328 |doi=10.1016/j.dib.2017.07.067 |pmc=5547233 |pmid=28795109}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name=Heim1942>{{cite journal |title=Nouvelles études descriptives sur les agarics termitophiles d'Afrique tropicale |journal=Archives du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle |author=Heim R. |year=1942 |volume=18 |issue=6 |pages=107–66 |language=French}}</ref>

<ref name="Bellanger 2015">{{cite journal | vauthors=((Bellanger JM)), ((Moreau PA)), ((Corriol G)), ((Bidaud A)), ((Chalange R)), ((Dudova Z)), ((Richard F)) | title=Plunging hands into the mushroom jar: a phylogenetic framework for ''Lyophyllaceae'' (Agaricales, ''Basidiomycota'') | date=2015 | journal=Genetica | volume=143 | issue=2 | pages=169–94 | doi=10.1007/s10709-015-9823-8| pmid=25652231 | s2cid=254505216 }}</ref>

<ref name=French1993>{{cite journal |title=The Mushroom-Growing Termites of Uganda |journal=Petits Propos Culinaires |author=French A. |year=1993 |issue=44 |pages= 35–41}}</ref>

<ref name=Kirk2008>{{cite book |vauthors=Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA |title=Dictionary of the Fungi |edition=10th |publisher=CABI |location=Wallingford, UK |year=2008 |page=682 |isbn=978-0-85199-826-8}}</ref>

<ref name="urlMycoBank: Termitomyces">{{cite web |url=http://www.mycobank.org/MycoTaxo.aspx?Link=T&Rec=18637 |title=''Termitomyces'' R. Heim 1942 |publisher=International Mycological Association |work=MycoBank |access-date=2010-12-23}}</ref>

}}
See Tobias Frøslev's ''Termitomyces'' page [https://web.archive.org/web/20071214035852/http://www.mycokey.com/AU/WestAfrica/Termitomyces.htm]
And an academic review of the relationship in Patterns of interaction specificity of fungus-growing termites and ''Termitomyces'' symbionts in South Africa  Aanenet DK al BMC Evol Biol. 2007; 7: 115. 
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1963455/]

==External links==
*[http://www.mycolog.com/16-12_Termitomyces2.jpg Image of a Termitomyces]
*[http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5489e/y5489e06.htm UN FAO report about Wild edible fungi]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2382732}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lyophyllaceae]]
[[Category:Agaricales genera]]
[[Category:Edible fungi]]