Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
06:58
Isolation, Behavioral Identification, and Pathogenicity Assessment of Entomopathogenic Fungi from a Forest Wood Borer
Published on: September 29, 2023
Are stag beetles fungivorous?
Masahiko Tanahashi1, Norihisa Matsushita, Katsumi Togashi
1Laboratory of Forest Zoology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. kawotuptera@fr.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Journal of Insect Physiology
|July 18, 2009
Summary
Stag beetle larvae can consume wood-rotting fungi as a primary food source. Larval growth correlated with fungal nitrogen content, suggesting fungi are a viable diet for Dorcus rectus.
Area of Science:
- Entomology
- Mycology
- Insect Nutrition
Background:
- Stag beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) typically consume decaying wood.
- The ability of stag beetle larvae to subsist solely on wood-rotting fungi remained unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if Dorcus rectus larvae can utilize wood-rotting fungi as a sole food source.
- To determine the nutritional value of different fungal species for D. rectus larvae.
Main Methods:
- Newly hatched D. rectus larvae were reared on artificial diets with freeze-dried mycelia of four fungal species: Bjerkandera adusta, Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Fomitopsis pinicola.
- Larval body mass gain was measured over 14 days.
- The effect of antibiotics on larval growth was assessed to evaluate the role of associated microbes.
Main Results:
- Larval body mass gain was highest on B. adusta diets, followed by T. versicolor, P. ostreatus, and F. pinicola.
- Growth rate positively correlated with fungal mycelial nitrogen content and B. adusta inclusion.
- Antibiotics significantly reduced larval growth, indicating fungi are usable but microbes offer benefits.
Conclusions:
- Wood-rotting fungi can serve as a substantial food source for D. rectus larvae.
- Fungal nitrogen content is a key factor in supporting larval growth.
- While larvae can utilize fungal mycelia directly, associated microbes enhance growth.
Related Concept Videos
02:40Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the biosynthesis of the...
01:26Fungal Phylum Basidiomycota
Basidiomycota is a diverse phylum of fungi that includes ecologically significant decomposers such as white rot fungi, symbionts like mycorrhizal fungi, plant pathogens such as rusts and smuts, and edible species like Agaricus bisporus (the common button mushroom). These fungi play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, symbiotic relationships, and even human health. Their defining feature is the basidium, a microscopic club-shaped structure responsible for producing basidiospores.Fruiting Bodies...
00:48Optimal Foraging
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
01:29Fungal Group Zygomycota
Zygomycota, previously classified as a distinct fungal group, are primarily terrestrial, saprophytic molds that play a crucial role as decomposers. Recent phylogenetic studies have revealed that these fungi are now divided into two major clades — Mucoromycota, which includes many symbiotic species, and Zoopagomycota, which primarily consists of parasitic and pathogenic fungi. These groups exhibit distinct ecological roles and reproductive strategies while sharing key structural and...
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...
01:46Types of Selection
Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...