Termitaria species (Termitariales, Deuteromycetes) found on Japanese termites (Isoptera)

The genus Termitaria are entomogenous exoparasitic deuteromycetes forming discoid lesions on the exoskeleton and sending haustoria into the integument of various species of termites. Two types of fungi with sporodochial surface structure as features of the genus Termitaria were found on Japanese termites, Hodotermopsis japonica, Reticulitermes speratus, R. sp. nr. okinawanus and Coptotermes formosanus. Even in the morphological and histological observations by microscope, we failed to detect any marked difference between these two types of fungi. This is the first report on Termitaria occurring in Japan, although the species was not identified. Hodotermopsis (Termopsidae) was first recorded as its host genus. Termitaria was found on all the termite host species and from all the collection sites we tried. This might suggest that Termitaria is quite common among the order Isoptera, at least in Japan.