Dietary Potential of the Symbiotic Fungus for the Larvae of a Nonsocial Fungus-cultivating Weevil

Importance: The cultivation of fungi for food has occurred across divergent insect lineages such as social ants, termites, and ambrosia beetles, as well as some seldom-reported solitary insects. Although the fungal cultivars of these insects have been studied for decades, the dietary potential of fungal cultivars for their hosts (especially for those nonsocial insects) is largely unknown. Our research on the mutualistic system - represents an example of the diverse nutritional potentials of the fungal cultivar in the diet of the larvae of its solitary host, . These results demonstrate that has the potential to synthesize or concentrate ergosterol, amino acids, and B vitamins and benefits the larvae of . Our findings would shed light on poorly understood fungal cultivation mutualisms in nonsocial insects and underscore the nutritional importance of fungal cultivars in fungal cultivation mutualisms.