gongylode

Gongylode is a term used in mycology and entomology to describe specialized, swollen hyphal cells produced by the fungal cultivar Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the domesticated basidiomycete cultivated by leaf-cutting ants. In the ant-fungus symbiosis, these structures are commonly called gongylidia, with gongylode serving as the singular form.

Gongylodes are typically bulbous or club-shaped enlargements that develop along the hyphae within the ant garden. They are nutritionally rich, containing lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, and act as food bodies for the ant colony. Their production is concentrated in the fungal layer that the ants actively tend and harvest.

Function and ecological role form the core of the gongylode's significance. Gongylodes provide the primary, readily consumable nutrition for worker ants and, by extension, for the brood. In return for this food source, the ants cultivate and maintain the garden, supply plant material as substrate, and regulate the fungal culture. This mutualism between Attine ants and their fungal cultivar is a classic example of coevolution and agricultural symbiosis.

Taxonomic and broader context. The cultivated fungus is commonly referred to as Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, and the presence of gongylodes is a distinctive feature of many Attine fungus gardens. The term emphasizes the importance of these swollen hyphal structures in the biology of the ant-fungus mutualism, highlighting how specialized fungal anatomy supports the needs of the ant colony.