Establishment of the case of Hebeloma radicosum growth on the latrine of the wood mouse

Abstract

Three cases of Hebeloma radicosum growth on the wood-mouse latrine near a wood-mouse nest are here described from Switzerland. This study establishes that this fungus may associate with wood mice, besides associating with moles as has been previously known. The nest occupant and the latrine maker were independently identified to ensure that the two were not different. For this identification, the characteristics of fallen hairs found from the nest and of those found from the deserted latrines now colonized by the fungus were taken as the most important information. In addition to these case studies, information about the occurrence of H. radicosum in northern Europe and northern Japan (Hokkaido) where moles do not occur is presented, which explicitly indicates the possibility of customer animals other than moles. © 2006 The Mycological Society of Japan and Springer-Verlag.