Fungi are a highly diverse group of heterotrophic eukaryotes characterized by the absence
of phagotrophy and the presence of a chitinous cell wall. While unicellular fungi are far from …

The entomopathogenic fungi are organisms that evolved to exploit insects. They comprise a
wide range of morphologically, phylogenetically, and ecologically diverse fungal species …

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER• A “brilliant [and] entrancing”(The Guardian) journey into
the hidden lives of fungi—the great connectors of the living world—and their astonishing and …

Basidiomycota is one of the major phyla in the fungal tree of life. The outline of
Basidiomycota provides essential taxonomic information for researchers and workers in …

Abstract Agaricomycetes includes ca. 21,000 described species of mushroom-forming fungi
that function as decayers, pathogens, and mutualists in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats …

Lignocellulose—the dry matter of plants, or “plant biomass”—digestion is of increasing
interest in organismal metabolism research, specifically the conversion of biomass into …

The hallmark of social insects is their caste system: reproduction is primarily monopolized by
queens, whereas workers specialize in the other tasks required for colony growth and …

The nesting and feeding habits of termites create the risk of contact with microbial and
invertebrate pathogens and parasites. Additionally, termite life history can result in cyclical …

Termites are model social organisms characterized by a polyphenic caste system.
Subterranean termites (Rhinotermitidae) are ecologically and economically important …

Whereas the soldier caste is clearly ancestral to all extant termite lineages and constitutes
the hallmark of termite eusociality, the origin and evolution of workers is much more difficult …