Hysterangium bonobo

Hysterangium bonobo
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Basidiomycota
Class: Agaricomycetes
Order: Hysterangiales
Family: Hysterangiaceae
Genus: Hysterangium
Species:
H. bonobo
Binomial name
Hysterangium bonobo
Elliot et al. (2020)

Hysterangium bonobo is a species of fungus found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Also known as simbokilo, the truffle-like species is named for bonobos, one of the species known to eat the fruiting bodies.[1]

Naming and taxonomy

In the Bantu language Bongando, Hysterangium bonobo is known as simbokilo,[2] which is linked to a longer phrase that translates roughly as "don't let your brother-in-law leave because traps baited with this will bring in plenty of food".[3]

Hysterangium bonobo was first described in the journal Mycologia in 2020 based on specimen gathered within the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[2] It is named for bonobos (Pan paniscus), a primate species known to unearth and consume the fruiting bodies.[4] Primatologist Alexander Georgiev observed wild bonobos consuming the fungi in the reserve and collected samples for analysis.[5]

Description

The basidiocarp of Hysterangium bonobo is hypogeous to partially emergent, as wide as 50 mm. It is dull to light brown and irregularly globose.[2][5] Its outer layer is lined with crystal-encrusted microscopic filaments[3] which may play a role in aroma diffusion or defense.[6] Analysis of Hysterangium bonobo indicated that the fungi had high concentrations of sodium.[7]

Use

Hysterangium bonobo is a food source for bonobos. The truffles are probably located through their scent, detected either in the air or on the hands of bonobos after digging through soil.[6] A 2021 article in the American Journal of Primatology addressed the nutritional content of Hysterangium bonobo and bonobo feeding patterns. The research indicated that while the fungi were not a staple food source, they could be a supplemental source of sodium in the bonobo diet.[7]

During forest hunting expeditions, some Congolese trappers use Hysterangium bonobo as bait for various small mammals.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Hysterangium bonobo". MycoBank. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Elliott, Todd F.; Georgiev, Alexander V.; Lokasola, Albert Lotana; Smith, Matthew E. (4 September 2020). "Hysterangium bonobo: A newly described truffle species that is eaten by bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo" (PDF). Mycologia. 112 (6): 1203–1211. doi:10.1080/00275514.2020.1790234.
  3. ^ a b Marchese, Halle (22 September 2020). "Scientists identify new species of crystal-encrusted truffle, thanks to bonobos". Phys.org.
  4. ^ "Hysterangium bonobo". MycoBank. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b Marchese, Halle (22 September 2020). "Scientists identify new species of crystal-encrusted truffle, thanks to bonobos". Florida Museum of Natural History.
  6. ^ a b "New Species of Truffle Found in Congo, Thanks to Mushroom-Munching Bonobos". Sci.News. 30 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b Lucchesi, Stefano; Cheng, Leveda; Wessling, Erin G.; Kambale, Bienfait; Lokasola, Albert L.; Ortmann, Sylvia; Surbeck, Martin (September 2021). "Importance of subterranean fungi in the diet of bonobos in Kokolopori". American Journal of Primatology. 83 (9). doi:10.1002/ajp.23308.