Evolution of agriculture and sociality: approach from cultivation mutualism between non-social insect and yeast

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25840153
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Ecology/Environment
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: TOKI Wataru 京都大学, 生態学研究センター, 研究員 (50611406)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ニホンホホビロコメツキモドキ / 非社会性昆虫 / 農耕 / 酵母 / 共生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Filamentous fungi were isolated from fungal gardens of the non-social lizard beetle Doubledaya bucculenta (Coleoptera: Erotylidae: Languriinae), which cultivates the yeast in the internodes of recently dead bamboo culms. These secondary fungi acted as weeds in the fungal gardens of D. bucculenta, inhibiting both growth of the beetle larvae and proliferation of the beneficial yeast. However, growths of the fungi were suppressed in the presence of both yeast and D. bucculenta larvae. The beneficial yeast was exclusively detected from mycangium of female adults of D. bucculenta. I found a related species of D. bucculenta associating with yeast in Vietnam.

Free Research Field

生態・環境