INVESTIGATIONS OF AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE STINKHORN FUNGUS AND BADGER SETTS

Fruiting bodies of the stinkhorn fungus (Phallus impudicus) were commo nly found near badger setts, clustered in the zone 24-39 m from sett e ntrances. The odour from the spore-covered gleba of the fruiting body attracted several species of hy, principally Polietes lardaria, Phaoni a subventa, Calliphora vomitoria, Calliphora vicina, Lucilia caesar an d Lucilia sericata. The latter four, all blowflies, were also among th e dominant species attracted to and reared from, badger carcases. The number of female flies at stinkhorns was significantly higher than tha t of males. Behavioural studies showed that female, but not male Calli phora vomitoria were attracted to the smell of the stinkhorn gleba. Fl ies feeding on the spore-laden mucilage on the gleba defaecated more r apidly than when feeding on dung or sucrose, thereby rapidly depositin g large numbers of spores. The implications of these findings are disc ussed in terms of a hypothetical stinkhorn-badger association, and of the overall ecology of badgers.