Insects associated with fruit bodies of the wood-decaying fungus Oak mazegill (Daedalea quercina) in mixed oak forests in southern Sweden

• Polypores host species rich insect assemblages, but relatively few polypore species have been studied in detail. We investigated insect assemblages associated with the fruit bodies of Daedalea quercina, a specialist species on oak in southern Sweden. Fruit bodies (n = 228) were collected from 25 nature reserves and woodland key habitats, and were taken into the laboratory to collect emerging insects. A total of 245 insect individuals were recorded, belonging to at least 45 species. The numerically dominant fungivores were the tineid moths Montescardia tessulatella (n = 38 individuals) and Nemapogon fungivorellus (n = 10) and the coleopteran Ennearthron cornutum (Ciidae) (n = 44). Altogether 40 individuals of hymenopteran parasitoids were recorded, belonging to Braconidae (Exothecinae, Microgastrinae and Rogadinae, altogether 6 spp.), Ichneumonidae (Banchinae, Cryptinae and Orthocentrinae, altogether 4 spp.), Torymidae (1 sp.), Perilampidae (1 sp.) and Scelionidae (1 sp.). Most of the remaining insect species are not specifically associated with fruit bodies, but occupy many types of decaying material. In conclusion, D. quercina hosted a low number of insect individuals in general and only a few coleopteran species. The fungus apparently has only one specialist species, N. fungivorellus, which is a near-threatened (NT) species on the Swedish red list; the record from Norra Vi is the first from the Jönköping. The overall low number of insect individuals and the dominance of Lepidoptera among the fungivores is possibly explained by the tough fruit bodies of D. quercina, which only moths are able to utilize; fruit bodies which had already started to rot were devoid of moths.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

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