Fungi are characterized by eukaryotic microorganisms, growth with hyphal or yeast form, cell wall containing chitin, and both sexual and asexual reproduction. Many of fungi are associated with insects through the two ways: good or bad things. Good thing may include insect vector for fungal propagation and bad thing include entomophagous fungi to stink bug. Many specific examples of coevolution between fungi and insects have been recorded. Fungi provide the nutrients to insects while insects may vector them. Bark beetles are known as fungal vector as they bore through the tree bark to lay their eggs. Good example is the blue stain fungus Ophiostoma novo-ulmi causing the Dutch Elm disease, which is spread by Elm bark beetles (Scolytus spp.). Several bark beetles associated with coniferous forests also vector pathogenic fungi and decay fungi as well. In case study of the mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) that is a serious threat for mature lodgepole, we showed diversity of fungi associated on their body surface. Based on cultural morphology and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) region, 7 ascomycetes and 2 basidiomycetes were detected on the body surface. 14 ascomycetes and 1 basidiomycetes were represented in the ITS　clone libraries.　Recently NGS based Amplicon pyrosequencing discovered that much higher fungal diversity (191 OTU with 97% similarity) from MBP exterior.

• Young Woon Lim(School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University)