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Here we present the results of taxonomic and systematic study of the rare truffle-forming genera Destuntzia and Kjeldsenia. Truffle-forming fungi are difficult to study due to their reduced morphological features and their cryptic, hypogeous fruiting habits. The rare occurrence of Destuntzia and Kjeldsenia further compounds these difficulties due to the lack of adequate material for study. Recent forays in North Carolina and Tennessee recovered new specimens of another rarely collected fungus, Octaviania purpurea. Morphological and phylogenetic analysis revealed that Octaviania purpurea is a member of the genus Destuntzia, and this led us to reevaluate the taxonomic status and systematic relationships of other Destuntzia species. We performed a multilocus phylogenetic analysis of Destuntzia specimens deposited in public fungaria, including all available type material, and environmental sequences from animal scat and soil. Our analyses indicate that Destuntzia is a member of the family Claustulaceae within the order Phallales and is a close relative of Kjeldsenia. Results of our phylogenetic analysis infer that three species originally described in the genus Destuntzia are members of the genus Kjeldsenia. We propose three new combinations in Kjeldsenia to accommodate these species as well as a new combination in Destuntzia to accommodate Octaviania purpurea. We also describe a new genus in Claustulaceae, Hosakaea, to accommodate a closely affiliated species, Octaviania violascens. Finally, we transfer the genus Destunzia into the family Claustulaceae and emend the description of the family. The newly proposed combinations in Destuntzia and Kjeldsenia significantly expand the known geographic ranges of both genera. The data from metabarcode analysis of scat and soil also reveal several additional undescribed species that expand these ranges well beyond those suggested by basidiomata collections. Systematic placement of Destuntzia in the saprotrophic order Phallales suggests that this genus is not ectomycorrhizal, and the ecological implications of this systematic revision are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Many mycorrhizal fungi are vital to nutrient acquisition in plant communities, and some taxa are reliant on animal-mediated dispersal. The majority of animals that disperse spores are relatively small and have short-distance movement patterns, but carnivores – and especially apex predators – eat many of these small mycophagists and then move greater distances. No studies to date have assessed the ecosystem services carnivores provide through long-distance spore dispersal. Aims. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether Australia’s free-ranging dogs (Canis familiaris), including dingoes, act as long-distance spore dispersers by predating smaller mycophagous animals and then secondarily dispersing the fungi consumed by these prey species. Methods. To answerthis question, we collected dingo scats along 40 km of transects in eastern Australia and analysed the scats to determine the presence of fungal spores and prey animals. Using telemetry and passage rate data, we then developed a movement model to predict the spore dispersal potential of dingoes. Key results. We found 16 species of mammalian prey to be eaten by dingoes, and those dingo scats contained spores of 14 genera of mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi were more likely to appear in the scats of dingoes if primary mycophagist prey mammals had been consumed. Our model predicted dingo median spore dispersal distance to be 2050 m and maximum dispersal potential to be 10 700 m. Conclusions. Our study indicates that dingoes are providing a previously overlooked ecosystem service through the long-distance dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi. Many of the fungi found in this study form hypogeous (underground) fruiting bodies that are unable to independently spread spores via wind. Because dingoes move over larger areas than their prey, they are especially important to these ecosystem functions. Implications. Our novel approach to studying an overlooked aspect of predator ecology is applicable in most terrestrial ecosystems. Similar modelling approaches could also be employed to understand the dispersal potential of both primary and secondary spore dispersers globally. Because this study highlights an unrecognised ecosystem service provided by dingoes, we hope that it will stimulate research to develop a more comprehensive understanding of other apex predators’ ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycophagous mammals perform important ecosystem services through their dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi (particularly truffles). In order to better understand the role of Tasmanian bandicoots in these associations, we examined the stomach and scat contents of specimens of southern brown bandicoots (Isoodon obesulus) and eastern barred bandicoots (Perameles gunnii) preserved in the mammal collections of the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. Our study shows that fungi are consumed by both species and that these mammals likely play a key role in ecosystem function through their dispersal of mycorrhizal fungal spores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Rodents in many parts of the world perform an important ecosystem function as dispersers of mycorrhizal fungal spores. These fungi are vital to nutrient uptake in plant communities, but many of the fungal taxa that form these associations have fruiting bodies that are reliant on animals for their spore dispersal. Aims: Numerous studies have focused on the ecological importance of Australian marsupials (especially members of the Potoroidae) for the dispersal of these ecologically important fungi. We chose to focus this study on the role of murid rodents in the dispersal of these fungi in eastern Australia. Methods: To compare fungal taxa in murid diets, we trapped rodents in three regions of eastern Australia; our study sites spanned over 2000 km from temperate eucalypt forests to tropical eucalypt and tropical rainforest habitats. We performed microanalysis on all scats to determine whether fungi were consumed and which taxa were being eaten. Statistical analysis was conducted to investigate trends in levels of mycophagy among species and habitats. Key results: We examined 10 rodent species, and all were shown to ingest mycorrhizal fungi to varying degrees. The diversity, abundance and specific fungal taxa consumed varied depending on the site and forest type. In drier forests dominated by Eucalyptus spp., the fungal taxa consumed and dispersed were primarily ectomycorrhizal; in wetter rainforest habitats, the fungal diversity consumed was far lower and included primarily vesicular arbuscular fungi. We provide the first evidence of mycophagy by grassland melomys (Melomys burtoni) and Cape York melomys (Melomys capensis). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of rodents as dispersers of mycorrhizal fungi across a variety of habitats from temperate to tropical forests of eastern Australia. Implications: This study increases the existing knowledge of rodent diets and habitat requirements. It also provides a new angle for mammal conservation efforts, given the vital nature of the ecosystem service provided by these small and frequently overlooked mammals. Fungi are vital to the nutrient uptake in forests, but the role of rodents in spore dispersal in eastern Australia remains incompletely studied. Our study highlighted the importance of 10 species of rodents as dispersers of mycorrhizal fungi across a variety of habitats, including from temperate to tropical forests. We also provide the first records of fungus consumption by two species. Photographs by Todd F. Elliott. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about species of myxomycetes associated with vertebrate dung in Australia. In the present study, dung samples of 15 species of mammals (eight marsupials, three native rodents and four domestic or feral eutherians) and a large flightless bird (the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius) were collected and processed in 84 moist chamber cultures. Fifty-two percent of these cultures yielded evidence (fruiting bodies and/or plasmodia) of myxomycetes. Eleven species belonging to seven genera were recorded. Licea tenera was the most common species in the study (recorded from 12 moist chamber cultures) and is also a new record for the continent. Perichaena depressa, Didymium difforme and Cribraria violacea were the only other species appearing in at least three cultures. Samples of dung collected from small mammals did not yield any myxomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red-legged pademelons (Thylogale stigmatica) occur as several subspecies in eastern Australia. The northern subspecies (T. stigmatica stigmatica) in north Queensland is considered common; the southern subspecies (T. stigmatica wilcoxi) in north-eastern New South Wales is, by comparison, rare and is listed as threatened. Activity patterns should also vary between these subspecies because T. s. stigmatica emerges from the forest at night to graze, whereas T. s. wilcoxi remains in the forest throughout the 24-h cycle. Using camera traps, we detected pademelons at a greater rate at a Queensland site occupied by T. s. stigmatica than at a New South Wales site inhabited by T. s. wilcoxi ; this result is consistent with their conservation status. However, pademelons at these sites displayed remarkably similar activity patterns within rainforest over the 24-h period, a result that was unexpected based on what is known of their diel behaviour. Red-legged pademelon occurs as distinct sub-species in eastern Australia; the north Queensland subspecies differ in their ecology and conservation status from those in north-eastern New South Wales, but data comparing abundance and activity patterns in these populations are lacking. We found pademelons were detected at a higher rate at a north Queensland site compared with a northern New South Wales site, but both populations had remarkably similar activity patterns. Our results add important information about future conservation of these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The desert rat-kangaroo or 'ngudlukanta' (Caloprymnus campestris) was once sparsely distributed in the Lake Eyre Basin of north-eastern South Australia and adjacent parts of Queensland, but has not been collected since the 1930s. However, numerous reported sightings, including some recent, provide some hope that it may still be extant. In 2018 and 2019, we searched for evidence of this species at sites where it had been collected in the 1930s, and at places where people have since reported seeing an animal that fits its description. Our survey, which analysed data from more than 6000 camera trap nights, 536 predator scats and 226 km of spotlight transects, was the most extensive field-based search ever undertaken for this animal; but we found no evidence for its continued existence. However, our work did detect other threatened species including a range extension for the kowari (Dasyuroides byrnei), thereby demonstrating the value of surveys like this one. Because of the vastness and inaccessibility of much of the terrain comprising the supposed distribution of C. campestris , we do not see our null result as definitive for this poorly surveyed animal; we instead hope that it provides a starting point for future surveys aimed at resolving its status. The desert rat-kangaroo or 'ngudlukanta' once occurred in north-eastern South Australia and adjacent parts of Queensland but is now presumed extinct. However, spurred on by some recent sightings we searched for the animal throughout its former distribution using camera trapping, spotlighting, and predator scat analysis. Although we found no evidence during our survey for its continued existence, we did detect other threatened species in this poorly-surveyed region of arid Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the diets and ecology of New Guinea's 14 bandicoot species. In order to better understand the diet and digestive morphology of these marsupials, we reviewed the literature, studied the dental morphology, conducted analysis of gastrointestinal contents, and measured the digestive tracts of: Echymipera clara , E. davidi , E. kalubu , E. rufescens , Isoodon macrourus , Microperoryctes ornata , M. papuensis and Peroryctes raffrayana. These species consume a mix of fungi, insects and plant material that is broadly consistent with the omnivorous diet characteristic of most Australian bandicoots; however, morphological observations reveal variation between species that likely reflect finer-scale differences in diet. Dental morphology suggests a wider variety of diets (insectivore, omnivore, frugivore) than on the Australian mainland (mostly omnivore). Dissections and measurements of the digestive tract of seven New Guinean species indicate variation linked to diet. The relatively short caecum in all New Guinean species, but especially in E. clara and E. kalubu , is particularly suggestive of limited consumption of fibrous plant material; the relative length of the large intestine suggests variable capacity for water reabsorption. Our dietary data also suggest that some of these species also play an important role in the dispersal of hypogeous fungi. Bandicoots are a unique group of marsupials endemic to Australia and New Guinea. The New Guinean species remain among the most poorly studied mammals in the world. This manuscript provides novel insights and a literature review investigating the diets, dental morphology, gastrointestinal anatomy and natural history of the non-Australian species. This research also highlights some of the important ecosystems functions they perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goodenough Island is in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea and is located off of New Guinea's eastern coast. Goodenough Island has a unique yet poorly studied mammal community. Previous dietary study of mycophagous New Guinean forest wallabies showed that Goodenough Island's endemic black forest wallaby (Dorcopsis atrata) ate at least 12 taxa of fungi. Using spirit collections at the Australian Museum in Sydney, we evaluated and compared fungal diversity in rodent diets on the same island. We sampled diets of four Goodenough Island rodent species (Chiruromys forbesi , Paramelomys platyops , Rattus exulans and Rattus mordax) and show that fungi are dietary components for three of these mammals. This research note investigates the diets of four rare rodents found on Goodenough Island in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. The study also provides insights into the ecological role of these rodents as dispersers of fungal spores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thirty camera traps were deployed for a total of 4179 trap‐nights between January and June 2020 as part of a project assessing post‐fire recovery of pademelons (Thylogale spp.) in northern New South Wales. By chance, one camera documented a site that was highly productive for the ectomycorrhizal fungal genus Amanita. This camera provided a rare opportunity to document a diversity of co‐habitating vertebrates that utilise these ectomycorrhizal fungi for food and in turn perform an important ecosystem function through the dispersal of their spores. Our camera recorded eleven vertebrate species; of these, we captured photographic evidence of Australian brush‐turkeys (Alectura lathami), a parma wallaby (Notamacropus parma), long‐nosed bandicoots (Perameles nasuta), red‐legged pademelons (Thylogale stigmatica) and red‐necked pademelons (T. thetis) feeding on fungal fruiting bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]