Tropische Pilze

Tropical fungi Mycological fieldwork in the tropics is a fascinating activity, because fungi are heterotrophic living beings and acquire nutrients in manyfold ways, often in association with algae, plants, or animals. Numerous fungi live in mutualistic symbiosis with plants or algae (lichens), as parasites of plants, or live on dead plant material. Other fungi kill insects or other animals and use their bodies as substrate to develop fruiting bodies, while a few fungal species live in mutualistic symbiosis with insects. These and further groups of fungi are presented based on examples from Panama. Sometimes, supposed fungal structures turn out to be cases of mimesis – plants or animals copy fungal patterns in order to take cover.