Free-living fungal symbionts (Lepiotaceae) of fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae)

Surveys of leucocoprinaceous fungi (Lepiotaceae, Agaricales, Basidiomycota) in the rainforests of Panama and Brazil revealed several free-living counterparts of fungi cultivated by primitive attine ants (the lower Attini, Formicidae, Hymenoptera), adding to two such collections identified in survey by Mueller et al (1998). The accumulated evidence Supports the hypothesis that perhaps all fungi of lower attine ants have close free-living relatives. Free-living Counterparts of ant-cultivated fungi are collected most readily during the early rainy season; in particular these are free-living Mushrooms of fungal counterparts that are cultivated as yeasts in gardens of ants in the Cyphomyrmex rimosus group. Free-living and symbiotic fungi of these yeast-cultivating ant species might represent a promising Study system to compare the biology of sympatric, conspecific fungi existing outside versus inside the attine symbiosis.