Mycophagy by invasive wild boar (Sus scrofa) facilitates dispersal of native and introduced mycorrhizal fungi in Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract Fleshy hypogeousfungi produce scents that enable mycophagous mammals and invertebrates to locate them and disperse their spores. The European wild boar( Sus scrofa ) was introduced in central Argentina in 1900s and later expanded into Patagonia. Here, we determined the diversity and abundance of fungal taxa, and the frequency of hypogeousfungal spores in wild boarfeces in Patagonia. We collected fecal samples on Isla Victoria, Nahuel Huapi National Park, and identified fungi using microscope and DNA metabarcoding of ITS2 rDNA. Hypogeousfungal spores occurred in almost all fecal samples. The most abundant species belonged to the genera Hysterangium, Melanogaster , Radiigeraand Gautieria. In addition to the symbiotrophic hypogeoustaxa, we also identified numerous pathotrophic and saprotrophic taxa. Not only diverse native hypogeousfungi, but also introduced ones are part of the diet of the wild boarin forests of Patagonia. If viable, introduced fungi are being dispersed as far as 2.5 km from the nearest plantation, highlighting how the introduced wild boarmight alter the local distribution and composition of fungal communities.