Fungalpedia – Note 3207, Athelia

 

Athelia. Pers., Traité champ.

Citation when using this data: Jayawardena RS et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank

Classification: Atheliaceae , Atheliales , Agaricomycetidae, Agaricomycetes, Agaricomycotina, Basidiomycota, Fungi

Athelia is a genus of corticioid fungi. Some species are facultative parasites of plants and of lichens (Sulistyo et al. 2021). A species of Athelia also engaged in a symbiotic relationship with termites (Reticulitermes), in which the fungus forms sclerotia that mimic termite eggs and worker termites handling the sclerotia as if they were eggs (Matsuura et al. 2005). Wijayawardena et al. (2022) accepted 32 species in this genus.

Type species: Athelia epiphylla Pers., Traité champ. Comest. (Paris): 67 (1818)

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Athelia.

 

References

Matsuura K 2005 – Distribution of termite egg-mimicking fungi (“termite balls”) in Reticulitermes spp.(Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) nests in Japan and the United States. Appl Entomol Zool 40:53–61.

Sulistyo BP, Larsson KH, Haelewaters D, Ryberg M 2021 – Multigene phylogeny and taxonomic revision of Atheliales sl: Reinstatement of three families and one new family. Lobuliciaceae Fam Nov Fungal Biol 125:239–255.

Wijayawardene NN, Hyde KD, Dai DQ, Sánchez-García M, et al. 2022 – Outline of Fungi and fungus-like taxa – 2021. Mycosphere 13:53–453.

 

Entry by

Jayawardena Ruvishika Shehali, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand

 

Published online 18 September 2026

 

 

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