Effects of wood-inhabiting marine fungi on food selection, feeding intensity and reproduction of Limnoria tripunctata Menzies (Crustacea, Isop.)
IRG/WP 480
H Geyer
The paper gives a condensed survey on laboratory tests with Limnoria tripunctata Menzies and pure cultures of 9 different marine wood-inhabiting fungi. Limnoria is able to distinguish between fungus-infested and non-infested wood. Wood with dead mycelium mostly proved to be less attractive or even repellent and was initially consumed less than with living fungi. On non-infested wood, initial feeding is retarded by 2 to 4 days. On fungus-infested wood less eggs degenerated and the number of reproductives was higher than on non-infested wood. Humicola alopallonella-infested wood yielded the highest number of reproductives. But the attractiveness of a fungus, the feeding stimulus produced by it and its nutritional value often did not correspond. It was not possible to make generally valid conclusions for one fungus species.