The fungi farmed by ants (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) also produces mushrooms when their colonies die out. This fungi can't survive without the ants and the ants propagate it by carrying it with them when they found new nests:

So what is the purpose of the mushrooms?

Is it just a hold-over from the days before the fungi was dependent on ants?

I've been trying to find out if you can eat the ones that grow on old ant nests.

myrmepropagandist (@futurebird@sauropods.win)

Attached: 1 image I had NO IDEA that Atta fungus could fruit. Can people eat it? The ants have optimized the fungus for protein, sugars, amino acids. It's a super food for ants, which might not sound relevant to people, but humans & ants have a lot in common when it comes to diet. We both need high calorie density foods. The typical ant diet of insects & sugars is pretty nutritious. Probably not what we'd call tasty. I really need some mushroom expert to find out if we can eat that fungus. It's very special.

Sauropods.win (sauropods.win)

It turns out that fungus growing termites sometimes cultivate Termitomyces titanicus. This is an excellent scientific name.

CORRECTION:
I assumed they had to work like ants. Wrong! (A fruiting body would only emerge from a dead ant colony not so with these termites) Something about macrotermitinaes nuptial flights stimulates mushroom fruiting. (!) They get covered in pink spores.

And you can eat it!

Hence the species name.

The fungi farmed by ants (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) also produces mushrooms when their colonies die out. This fungi can't survive without the ants and the ants propagate it by carrying it with them when they found new nests:

So what is the purpose of the mushrooms?

Is it just a hold-over from the days before the fungi was dependent on ants?

I've been trying to find out if you can eat the ones that grow on old ant nests.

myrmepropagandist (@futurebird@sauropods.win)

Attached: 1 image I had NO IDEA that Atta fungus could fruit. Can people eat it? The ants have optimized the fungus for protein, sugars, amino acids. It's a super food for ants, which might not sound relevant to people, but humans & ants have a lot in common when it comes to diet. We both need high calorie density foods. The typical ant diet of insects & sugars is pretty nutritious. Probably not what we'd call tasty. I really need some mushroom expert to find out if we can eat that fungus. It's very special.

Sauropods.win (sauropods.win)

It turns out that fungus growing termites sometimes cultivate Termitomyces titanicus. This is an excellent scientific name.

CORRECTION:
I assumed they had to work like ants. Wrong! (A fruiting body would only emerge from a dead ant colony not so with these termites) Something about macrotermitinaes nuptial flights stimulates mushroom fruiting. (!) They get covered in pink spores.

And you can eat it!

Hence the species name.

@futurebird are they completely unable to spread that way, or is it a desperation strategy?

@futurebird funeral umbrella

@PetraOleum

It's never really found just living on its own without ants to take care of it?

Ants keep it clean, set the correct humidity, feed it plant matter...

In fact, many antkeepers have tried to farm it (so they have extra fungi for their pet ants) and it's basically been impossible for people to do it, even with clean rooms, carefully cut leaves and humidity chambers.

It's totally dependent on ants.

Now... could it maybe float as spores and join an existing ant colony? Maybe? IDK

It turns out that fungus growing termites sometimes cultivate Termitomyces titanicus. This is an excellent scientific name.

CORRECTION:
I assumed they had to work like ants. Wrong! (A fruiting body would only emerge from a dead ant colony not so with these termites) Something about macrotermitinaes nuptial flights stimulates mushroom fruiting. (!) They get covered in pink spores.

And you can eat it!

Hence the species name.

It turns out that fungus growing termites sometimes cultivate Termitomyces titanicus. This is an excellent scientific name.

CORRECTION:
I assumed they had to work like ants. Wrong! (A fruiting body would only emerge from a dead ant colony not so with these termites) Something about macrotermitinaes nuptial flights stimulates mushroom fruiting. (!) They get covered in pink spores.

And you can eat it!

Hence the species name.

It turns out that fungus growing termites sometimes cultivate Termitomyces titanicus. This is an excellent scientific name.

CORRECTION:
I assumed they had to work like ants. Wrong! (A fruiting body would only emerge from a dead ant colony not so with these termites) Something about macrotermitinaes nuptial flights stimulates mushroom fruiting. (!) They get covered in pink spores.

And you can eat it!

Hence the species name.

@futurebird The mushroom is cool, but also kinda sad.

@michaelgemar @futurebird

Why sad?

@michaelgemar @futurebird

Why sad?

@kevinrns @michaelgemar

termite empire is fallen

@futurebird I wonder if you can sample the genetics of colonies and their fungus to work out if the lines of descent always match

@kevinrns @michaelgemar

termite empire is fallen

It turns out that fungus growing termites sometimes cultivate Termitomyces titanicus. This is an excellent scientific name.

CORRECTION:
I assumed they had to work like ants. Wrong! (A fruiting body would only emerge from a dead ant colony not so with these termites) Something about macrotermitinaes nuptial flights stimulates mushroom fruiting. (!) They get covered in pink spores.

And you can eat it!

Hence the species name.

@futurebird @michaelgemar

Look upon my works ye mighty

@PetraOleum

It's never really found just living on its own without ants to take care of it?

Ants keep it clean, set the correct humidity, feed it plant matter...

In fact, many antkeepers have tried to farm it (so they have extra fungi for their pet ants) and it's basically been impossible for people to do it, even with clean rooms, carefully cut leaves and humidity chambers.

It's totally dependent on ants.

Now... could it maybe float as spores and join an existing ant colony? Maybe? IDK

@kevinrns @michaelgemar

The great mushroom is a tribute to the termites. Announcing they recently sent out a nuptial flight. (corrected)

(Often when you see mushrooms it means that the Mycelium, the living fungi has reached the end of its life.

Somehow this isn't the case with Macrotermitinae and Termitomyces titanicus. I will need to think about how this is possible.)