A lecture series by leading scientist & evolutionary biologists Prof. Menno Schilthuizen and Prof. Dr. Duur Aanen about the complex relationships between fungi and insects, including the farming of fungi by termites

Lecture 1: The Interconnected Lives of Insects and Fungi
by Prof. Menno Schilthuizen (Leiden University)

We know insects have close relationships with plants—they eat them and help pollinate them. But did you know that insects and fungi are also closely connected? In this talk, we will explore how certain insects feed on mushrooms and fungi, often targeting specific species. Menno will also explain how insects play a role in "pollinating" fungi and maintaining the hidden underground network of fungal threads, known as the "wood-wide web".

Lecture 2: The Farming of Fungi by Termites
by Prof. Dr. Duur Aanen (Wageningen University)

Fungus-growing termites are dominant players in old-world tropical ecosystems where they act as ecosystem engineers. The origin of the mutualism dates back some 30 million years ago, when the ancestor of the fungus-growing termites domesticated the ancestor of the basidiomycete genus Termitomyces. In my talk I will discuss the evolution of the termites and their fungi and the stability of the interaction over time.

Agenda:
7:00 arrive and mingle
7:15 lecture 1: The Interconnected Lives of Insects and Fungi
7:45 Q&A
8:00 break
8:15 lecture 2: The Farming of Fungi by Termites
8:45 Q&A
9:00 open end, conversations & drinks