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Environmental and biological determinants of Termitomyces species seasonal fructification in central and southern Côte d’Ivoire

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Abstract

The Macrotermitinae subfamily is characterized by its symbiosis with fungi of the genus Termitomyces. The most common and presumably primitive mode of reproduction for these fungi is to produce basidiocarps on the mounds of the host termite colony. The seasonal fructification pattern of the fungi seems to depend on the habitat type and termite ecology. We examined Termitomyces diversity and distribution in two phytogeographic zones in central and southern Côte d’Ivoire. Data were collected in different habitats in exhaustive searches with standardized methods for termites and basidiocarps as well. The respective findings were complemented with behavioral and life cycle data of the associated termite species. Basidiocarps occur species-specifically either during the long or the short rainy season in wooded habitats. The diversity and abundance of termites and their associated basidiocarps were significantly correlated only with woody plant species richness. Nuptial flight of termites, comb biomass and Termitomyces fructification periods were correlated. Termitomyces appear to fructify during (1) the period of strong precipitation, (2) in habitats with appropriate microclimatic characteristics.

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Acknowledgments

We would particularly like to thank Jean-Baptiste Kouassi, Issa Ouattara, Bernard N’Goran and Richmond Aka for their technical assistance during the fieldworks. We also expressed our gratitude to Dr. Adama Diawara, Director of the Geophysical Research Station of Lamto for free climatic data. We are most grateful to Professor Dr. Duur K. Aanen, Dr. Tânia Nobre (Plant Science Group, Population Genetic Laboratory, University of Wageningen, The Netherlands), Dr. Kolo Yéo (UFR-SN, Université d’Abobo-Adjamé, Côte d’Ivoire) and Prof. Guy Josens (Systématique et Ecologie Animale, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgique) and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and help in the improvement of this manuscript. The work was supported by the Biodiversity Transect Analysis West Africa (BIOTA-West) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, FKZ 01 LC 00617A2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UFR-Sciences de la Nature et de l’Environnement, Station d’Ecologie de Lamto, Université d’Abobo-Adjamé (Côte d’Ivoire), BP 28, N’Douci, Côte d’Ivoire

    N. A. Koné, K. Dosso & S. Konaté

  2. UFR-Sciences de la Nature et de l’Environnement, Laboratoire de Biologie et Amélioration des Productions Végétales, Université d’Abobo-Adjamé (Côte d’Ivoire), 22 BP 461, Abidjan, 22, Côte d’Ivoire

    N. A. Koné & J. Y. Kouadio

  3. Lehrstuhl Tierökologie und Tropenbiologie (Zoologie III), Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften der Universität Würzburg (Biozentrum), Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    K. E. Linsenmair

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  1. N. A. Koné
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  2. K. Dosso
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Koné, N.A., Dosso, K., Konaté, S. et al. Environmental and biological determinants of Termitomyces species seasonal fructification in central and southern Côte d’Ivoire. Insect. Soc. 58, 371–382 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-011-0154-1

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