UPSC
2022

Question:

Certain species of which one of the following organisms are well known as cultivators of fungi?

A

Ant

B

Cockroach

C

Crab

D

Spider

Correct Answer

(a) Ant

Solution:

Ant
  • This species of Ant is well known as the cultivator of the fungi.
    • Few other insects such as termites, beetles, and marsh periwinkles are also able to cultivate fungi.
  • The fungus-growing ants are a New World group of less than 200 species, all obligate symbionts with a fungus they use for food.
  • The These ants are found across the American continents and the West Indies. These ants are known as fungus growers because they maintain an obligate mutualism with fungi cultured inside their nests, and which is the only food source for the larvae and an important resource for the adult ants as well

Additional Notes:

Cockroach
  • Cockroach falls under the category of menace-causing insects.
  • Cockroaches or roaches fall under the suborder Blattodea which is under the super order Dictyoptera.
  • Cockroaches usually prefer a warm, dark-dingy, and humid climate to survive.
Crab
  • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s has decided to observe the first-ever International Horseshoe Crab Day on 20th June 2020.
  • Odisha is their largest habitat in India.
  • It is in Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, under which the catching and killing of a horseshoe crab is an offense.
  • The Zoological Survey of India has suggested declaring the habitat of horseshoe crabs as Eco-Sensitive Zones for their conservation and proper management.
Spider
  • The spider belonging to the Genus Poecilotheria, commonly known as the Peacock Parachute Spider or Gooty Tarantula was spotted in the Pakkamalai Reserve Forests in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.
  • Peacock Parachute Spider (Gooty Tarantula)
    • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized it as Critically Endangered.
    • It is endemic to India.
    • The known habitat of this species is in the Eastern Ghats especially degraded forests near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh.​