Competition in vitro among fungi acquired from the exoskeleton of the giant Madagascar hissing-cockroach, Gromphadorhina portentosa, and its relevance to human health

► The Madagascar hissing-cockroach harbors a variety of fungi on their surface. ► In vitro fungal competitive interactions were utilized to determine fungi that can most effectively develop on the surface of the cockroach. ► Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor racemosus and Trichoderma viride are most exploitative of the cockroach surface by the capacity to develop quickly and on previously established fungi.