| Reticulitermes spp., subterranean termites, are a major pest of homes and other above-ground structures. Past research has indicated that wood decay fungi, which are commonly found in close association with termites, may have an influential role in termite feeding. The objectives of this study were to collect, isolate, and identify wood decay fungi from wood samples both containing and devoid of termites. Twenty forest sites were randomly selected and sampled for wood samples with and without termites. These 160 samples were cultured in the laboratory for isolation of wood decay fungi. Fungal isolates were identified using morphological, chemical, and molecular taxonomic features. The GLIMMIX macro in SAS 8.2 was used to model probability of fungal presence. Significant associations were noted between habitat, wood species, and termite presence for several genera within the phyla Ascomycota and Deuteromycota. The Genera Xylaria and Nodulasporium exhibited high probabilities of disassociation with termites. |
