Journal of Species Research 3(2):123-126, 2014

List of beetles (Coleoptera) associated with the oyster mushroom,

Pleurotus ostreatus Fr., in the Onon-Balj National Park of Mongolia
Boo Hee Jung1 and Sun-Jae Park2,*
1
Korean Entomological Institute, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, Korea
2
Animal Resources Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 404-708, Korea

*Correspondent: [email protected]

We present a list of the beetle species associated with the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus Fr. in the
birch forest of Onon-Balj National Park in Mongolia. A total of 21 species in seven families were found in
this fungus, including fungivorous species: Litargus japonicus Reitter and Mycetophagus antennatus (Reit-
ter) (Mycetophagidae), Pseudamblyopus similis (Lewis) (Erotylidae), and Lordithon sp. (Staphylinidae) etc.
Both adult and larval forms are presented in the checklist along with the type of fungal association, of
which approximately 52 percent are obligate mycetobionts. The main trends of the ecological and trophic
specialization of the mycetophilic beetles are discussed.
Keywords: fungal host, fungivorous beetles, Mongolia, Pleurotus ostreatus

�2014 National Institute of Biological Resources

DOI:10.12651/JSR.2014.3.2.123

and Kim, 2008; Jung and Lee, 2011). These fungi pro-
INTRODUCTION vide their inhabitants with food, shelter, and breeding
places either directly or indirectly (Graves, 1960; Pavi-
Basidiomycetes are the most commonly used foods of our-Smith, 1960; Klimaszewski and Peck, 1987; Whee-
fungivorous Coleopteran beetles. Basidiomycetes which ler, 1987; Cline and Leschen, 2005; Jung and Lee, 2011).
serves as hosts for beetles are composed mainly of two Among them, the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostrea-
large groups; one of them is bracket fungi (order Aphyl- tus Fr. (Fig. 1) is distributed throughout temperate re-
lophorales) which form spores within tubes and rarely gions of the world (Lee, 1988; Kim et al., 2004; Cline
on teeth, and the other is mushrooms (order Agaricales) and Leschen, 2005). These mushrooms are edible and in
which form spores on gill or rarely within tubes. Most high demand by mushroom collectors and individual
Aphyllophorales are ligneous and most Agaricales are growers (Kim et al., 2004; Cline and Leschen, 2005).
soft (Breitenbach and Kränzlin, 1986; Leschen, 1990; Pleurotus ostreatus can be distinguished by the follow-
Kim et al., 2004). Insects feeding on bracket fungi ing combination of characters: caps laterally attached;
appear to be more host-specific than insects feeding on cap 43-200 mm in length, fan-shaped to shallowly fun-
mushrooms (Lawrence and Milner, 1996; Jung and Lee, nel-shaped; white to grayish or brownish color and rolled
2011). The long lifespan and ecological succession of margin; slightly depressed in center; surface smooth and
fruiting bodies of Aphyllophorales would contain more moist; fruiting bodies often conjoined and overlapping;
beetle species than softer, fleshy, more ephemeral Aga- stalk white, stout, smooth and short; gills descending
ricales, although the latter often has a greater number of stalk, close to nearly distinct and thick; spore print white
or abundance of beetles at any given time (Cline and (Lincoff, 1981; Lee, 1988; Kim et al., 2004; Cline and
Leschen, 2005). Leschen, 2005). This fungus is a decomposer of wood
Some fungivorus beetles including Erotylidae, Myce- and is most often encountered on dying or dead deci-
tophagidae, Tetratomidae and some Tenebrionidae are duous trees (Lee, 1988; Kim et al., 2004), but rarely en-
observed to be obligatory inhabitants of Basidiomycetes. countered on conifers (Vilgalys et al., 1993). It also typi-
In particular, woody and thick fungi of the order Aphyl- cally begins to appear in late spring and persist th-
lophorales and Agaricales provide microhabitats in roughout the summer and fall, and so is most abundant
which many arthropod species spend their entire lives on cool and damp days in early to late autumn in deci-
(Klimaszewski and Peck, 1987; Leschen, 1990; Jung duous forests (Cline and Leschen, 2005).
124 JOURNAL OF SPECIES RESEARCH Vol. 3, No. 2

Pleurotus ostreatus is an important fungal host for 1952; Rehfous, 1955; Nobuchi, 1956; Höfler, 1960; Cline
many mycophagous beetles in Europe and Asia (Doni- and Leschen, 2005).
sthorpe, 1935; Scheerpeltz and Höfler, 1948; Benick, The purpose of this study is to provide a list of Mong-
olian beetles associated with P. ostreatus in the birch
forest of Onon-Balj National Park (Fig. 2). And we dis-
cuss this host fungus as an important resource for fungi-
vorous and predatory beetles.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sampling
From 18 to 21 on July in 2012, we collected about 30
fruiting bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus Fr. associated
with birch trees in the Onon-Balj National Park in Mong-
olia. To collect material effectively, we removed by hand
the fruiting bodies from the substrate on the forest-floor
1
with cloth or vinyl cloth and quickly transferred them
into vinyl bags and sealed the bags. Eggs, larvae, and
adults found on the fungi were brought to the laboratory
for beetle extraction. And all adults, larvae and pupae
were subsequently sorted, identified, counted, and fixed
in 99% ethyl alcohol.

Terminology and Identification of Fungus

Several ecological classifications exist for fungivorous
beetles, and we classify them into three main categories
which the beetles were associated with their fungal host
(Scheerpeltz and Höfler, 1948; Benick, 1952; Graves,
1960; Höfler, 1960; Lawrence, 1973; Newton, 1984; Kli-
2 maszewski and Peck, 1987; Lawrence and Milner, 1996;
Cline and Leschen, 2005; Krasutskii, 2007; Jung and Lee,
Figs 1-2. Pleurotus ostreatus in the Birch Forest of Onon-Balj 2011), as follows: 1) Mycetobionts (MB) which are obliga-
National Park. 1. Pleurotus ostreatus. 2. Birch Forest. tory fungal inhabitants, feeding and breeding on the fun-

3 4 5 6
Figs. 3-6. Fungivorous beetles associated with Pleurotus ostreatus in the Birch Forest of Onon-Balj National Park. 3. Mycetophagus
antennatus, Mycetophagidae. 4. Litargus japonicus, Mycetophagidae. 5. Pseudamblyopus similis, Erotylidae. 6. Dacne bipustulata,
Erotylidae.
August 2014 JUNG AND PARK-MONGOLIAN BEETLES ASSOCIATED WITH PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS FR. 125

Table 1. List of the fungivorous beetles associated with Pleurotus Balj National Park in Mongolia (Table 1). Many taxa
in the birch forest of Onon-Balj National Park in Mongolia. were observed as a mycophagy. Fungal host, P. ostrea-
Khentii, Onon-Balj tus, has been used by Mongolian beetles as follows: P.
National Park, Dadal ostreatus provide approximately 52 percent of the total
Cate-
Species 18.vii. 20.vii. 21.vii. species with feeding and breeding habitats (myceto-
gory
2012 2012 2012 bionts), approximately 24 percent with only feeding
(pinus) (birch) (birch) diets (mycetophiles), and approximately 24 percent with
Order Coleoptera shelters or predation (mycetoxenes).
Family Staphylinidae Staphylinidae was the most common beetle family asso-
Lordithon sp. 0 0 MX
ciated with P. ostreatus (eight species, representing five
Oxyporus sp. 0 MB
Gyrophaena (Gyrophaena) sp. 0 MB subfamilies. 38%). The staphylinid beetles listed are of
Gyrophaena (Phaenogyra) sp. 0 MB mixed diets, therefore, most of the species are likely to
Pselaphinae sp. 0 MX be predaceous and only one species (Oxyporus sp.) is
Athetini sp. 1 0 0 0 MX fungivorous. Oxyporus occipitalis typically lay eggs in-
Athetini sp. 2 0 MX
side a chamber constructed within the gill layer of the
Athetini sp. 3 0 MX
host mushroom.
Family Mycetophagidae
Litargus japonicus Reitter 0 MB Of the remaining non staphylinoid families, myceto-
Mycetophagus hillerianus Reitter 0 MB bionts comprised the largest proportion of beetles pre-
Mycetophagus antennatus (Reitter) 0 0 0 MB sent, which included Erotylidae (four species, 19%), and
Mycetophagus sp. (larva) 0 MB Mycetophagidae (four species, 19%). And mycetophile
Family Erotylidae comprised Nitidulidae (two species), Trogossitidae (one
Dacne bipustulata (Thunberg) 0 MB
Pseudamblyopus similis (Lewis) 0 0 0 MB
species), and Tenebrionidae (one species).
Triplax japonica Crotch 0 0 MB Especially, Mycetophagus antennatus (Reitter) (Fig. 3)
Erotylidae sp. (larvae) 0 MB of family Mycetophagidae (Fig. 4) is the most abundant
Family Trogossitidae species associated with Pleurotus in the birch forest of
Leperina squamulosa (Gebler) 0 MP Onon-Balj National Park in Mongolia. Most of larvae and
Family Nitidulidae adults of Korean mycetophagids were confirmed to feed
Haptoncus sp. 0 0 MP and breed in the fruiting bodies of Aphylloporales [e.g.
Nitidulidae sp. 0 MP
Stereum sanguinolentum (Alb. et Schw.: Fr.); Daedaleop-
Family Silvanidae
Ahasverus advena (Waltl) 0 0 MP
sis tricolor (Bull.: Fr.)] and dried Agaricales [e.g. Armil-
Family Tenebrionidae
laria mellea (Vahl) P. Kumm.; Omphalotus japonicus
Adesmia sp. 0 0 MP (Kawam.) Kircham. & O. K. Mill.)], which are lignicol-
ous and longevous. These host fungi are thick enough
Total 7 families, 21 species
for this species to feed and breed in fruiting body (Jung
*Category (type of association) indicates that the beetle is an obligate/
mycetobiont (MB), a facultative/mycetophile (MP), an accidental/myceto-
and Park, 2013), such as P. ostreatus.
xene (MX). Pseudamblyopus similis (Lewis) in Erotylidae (Figs. 5,
6) is plentiful in the Onon-Balj National Park in Mongo-
lia. Host fungal specificity on Pleurotus is known to
gal host, 2) Mycetophiles (MP), which only feed on fungi some groups, such as the Holarctic Triplax (Erotylidae;
at some point during their life, but do not require the fun- Selley et al., 1991). It is suggested that erotylids and
gus for development, and 3) Mycetoxenes (MX), which mycetophagids are mycophagy because both the larvae
are found occasionally in and around fungi as a simple and adults were found on the fruiting body of P. ostrea-
visitor for shelter. tus in Mongolia.
Host fungi collected for this study were identified Although many beetles that are mycophagous, such as
using several illustrated mushroom books (Lincoff, 1981; the nitidulid Pallodes, may inhabit on Pleurotus in rela-
Imazeki and Hongo, 1987; Lee, 1988; Kim et al., 2004) tively broad funal host diets (Leschen, 1988), there were
with the assistance of a mushroom taxonomist in the two species of family Nitidulidae which maybe consi-
National Academy of Agricultural Science. dered as a mycetophile because they are commonly in-
habit under the bark.

RESULTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A total of 21 beetle species in seven families were
observed to occur on Pleurotus ostreatus Fr. of Onon- This work was supported by a grant from the National
126 JOURNAL OF SPECIES RESEARCH Vol. 3, No. 2

Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR), funded by the Schrot (Basidiomycetes, Aphyllophorales) in Forests of
Ministry of Environment (MOE) of the Republic of Korea. the Urals and Transurals. Entomological Review 87(5):
512-523.
Lawrence, J.F. 1973. Host preference in ciid beetles (Col.:
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