Novel fungus helps beetles to digest hard wood

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The larva of Asian longhorned beetle feeds and develops exclusively on the the inner-wood of deciduous trees. A fungus within its gut alters lignin and makes it easier to break down wood. Credit: Joshua Peter Kaffer
The larva of Asian longhorned beetle feeds and develops exclusively on the the inner-wood of deciduous trees. A fungus within its gut alters lignin and makes it easier to break down wood. Credit: Joshua Peter Kaffer
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A little known fungus tucked away in the gut of Asian longhorned beetles helps the insect munch through the hardest of woods according to a team of entomologists and biochemists. Researchers say the discovery could lead to innovative methods of controlling the invasive pest, and potentially offer more efficient ways of breaking down plant biomass for generating biofuels.


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