1. Insect-Fungal Interactions

2. Insects Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Insecta Six jointed legs, exoskeleton Apx 1 million described species Fungi Kingdom: Fungi 70,000 described species; may be over 1.5 million Immobile like plants, but like animals: can break down organic material for nutrients

3. Insect-Fungal Interactions Possible Relationships Fungivory: insect eats fungus Mutualism: both insect and fungus benefits Parasitism: fungus lives on/inside insect and the insect suffers Commensalism: one benefits, the other is unaffected

4. Insect Fungivores: Springtails Springtails: thousands of these per square foot in forests: feed on fungus as leaves and wood rot

5. Insect Fungivores: Springtails

7. Insect Fungivores: Fungus Beetles Fungus Beetles: various kinds, invade rotten wood

8. Insect Fungivores: Mushroom Flies A pest for mushroom growers

9. Mutualism: Leafcutter Ants

10. Real Ant Farms

11. Mutualism: Scale Insects “Felt Fungi”

12. Mutualism: Bark Beetles

13. Tri-Trophic Interactions Endophytes: symbiotic fungi living in grasses - why?

14. Parasitism: Fungal Diseases Fungal Insecticides: natural and manipulated

15. Parasitism: Fungal Diseases

16. Behavioral Effects Feeding reduction: give fungus less nutrients Insect may bask in sun to kill fungus Just before death: insect often moves to a high spot

17. Lady Beetles and Fungi? Fungi: Hesperomyces virescens Found on other types of lady beetles in other countries On other lady beetles: may be associated with mortality