Hysterangium bonobo: A newly described truffle species that is eaten by bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo

ABSTRACT

Many animals have been shown to eat fungi and most truffle-like fungi depend on animals for spore dispersal via mycophagy. Although these interactions are widespread, they are understudied in many habitats. In this study, we show that bonobos (Pan paniscus) forage and feed on an undescribed truffle species in the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Based on morphological and molecular assessment of collections, we show that the species eaten by bonobos is a previously undescribed taxon described here as Hysterangium bonobo. This species is known in the local Bantu language (Bongando) as simbokilo and is used for baiting traps to catch several species of small mammals. Our findings highlight the need for further research into mycophagy and systematics of sequestrate fungi in Africa.

KEYWORDS:

• African fungi
• Hysterangiales
• Phallomycetidae
• primate mycophagy
• truffle taxonomy
• 1 new taxon

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Sally Coxe and Michael Hurley from the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI) for access to Kokolopori and for field support. Permission for the study was facilitated by the BCI, Vie Sauvage, and Mwanza Ndunda at the Centre Recherche de Ecologie et Forestrie at Mbandaka. BCI staff in Kinshasa and Mbandka, the late Veronique Lokasola, and her colleagues at Vie Sauvage provided assistance in the DRC. Leonard Nkanga, Antoine Lokondja, Jean Nsala, Jacques Likenge, Antoine Ilanga-Bomanga, and Jean-Pierre Likenge assisted in the field. Richard Wrangham provided encouragement and advice on A.V.G.’s bonobo research. Jim Trappe and Michael Castellano provided specimens of A. radiatus from OSC. We thank Rosanne Healy, Donald Pfister, and Nattapol Kraisitudomsook for laboratory support. This study complied with the requirements of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at Harvard University, as well as with legislation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kelsey Myers Elliott provided helpful insights and editorial comments. Konstanze Bensch and Jim Trappe provided clarity on etymology. The authors thank Terry Henkel and Brandon Matheny for editorial suggestions.

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Additional information

Funding

Funding was provided by Harvard University and the Arthur L. Greene Fund to A.V.G. M.E.S. received funding from the US Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA; FLA-PLP-005289), the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard University, and IFAS at the University of Florida. T.F.E. received an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from The School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England.