Your path towards ecological understanding

Laboulbenia species; fungi analogous to athlete’s foot

March 29, 2019 Philip Pinzone

Laboulbenia species growing from the hard outer wing surface known as the elytra. — *Laboulbenia* species growing from the hard outer wing surface known as the elytra.

So often, I find fungi to write about that have a large ecological impact. Organisms that interact with ecosystems in stunningly detrimental ways or overwhelmingly positive ways entice readers to visit this website, and are generally easy to write about. However, it would be a disservice to you if I didn’t mention the commensals; the species that skate by without having truly negative or positive impacts. I just recently learned of a group of Ascomycete fungi called the laboulbeniomycetes that do just that.

Bark beetle competition with its own ‘mutualist’

January 24, 2018 Philip Pinzone

Beetles represent 40% of all the insects, and 25% of all the animals living on Earth today.

Beetles are the most diverse group of insects in the world. They have been interacting with the forest floor since the Carboniferous, more than 300 million years ago. With this long period of time, one can see why so many evolutionary relationships have occurred since they made their way on to Earth's terrestrial scene.

Quadripartite ecology discovered in South Africa; the interaction of four species

September 20, 2017 Philip Pinzone

A: Protea repens tree. B: Cream inflorescence and infructescence. C: Knoxdaviesia proteae sexual structures with visible spore droplets (arrow). Bar=1cm. From Aylward et al. 2014. — A: *Protea repens* tree. B: Cream inflorescence and infructescence. C: *Knoxdaviesia proteae* sexual structures with visible spore droplets (arrow). Bar=1cm. From Aylward et al. 2014.

The interplay of four species on the surface of a South African flower is enough to make your head spin.