Spore resistance and gut-passage time of macrofungi consumed by Ceratophysella denisana (Collembola: Hypogastruridae)

Fungal fruiting bodies, which are organs that bear and disperse spores, are consumed by numerous invertebrates, including the collembolan Ceratophysella denisana. To examine the potential role of C. denisana in spore dispersal via gut passage, we conducted a laboratory study of spore resistance and gut-passage time of fungi during feeding by C. denisana. For most species examined, spores experienced nearly 100 % damage through feeding. The gut-passage time was much shorter than the duration of feeding, indicating that most faeces are deposited on the fruit body without contributing to dispersal. Our results suggest that C. denisana potentially reduces fungal fitness by damaging spores and/or reducing the number of wind-dispersed spores.