Fungi/fungal-like organisms (entomopathogens)
entomopath. fungi & oomycetes
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Ascomycota
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| Hypocreales |
| other groups |
Zygomycota
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| Entomophthorales |
Other groups
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| Oomycota |
| other groups |
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Source: Wikimedia Commons
Fungi/fungal-like organisms (entomopathogens)
Fungi are probably the most common and important disease-causing organisms of insect pests. They are in general considered safe for humans, although producers of mycotoxins should not be used for biological control. They often spread naturally through the air and can persist in the environment for considerable periods of time.
Many species infect their hosts through the cuticle, e.g. when spores land on the soft intersegmental membranes of an insect host. The germinating spores then penetrate through the cuticle. The life cycle typically ends with death of the host and the fungus re-emerging through the host cuticle. It then forms spores on the cuticle surface which again can spread through the air.
Note:
This group refers to entomopathogens only, for other groups of fungi and oomycetes see:
- plant pathogenic fungi & oomycetes
- beneficial antagonistic fungi & oomycetes
- beneficial fungi & oomycetes pathogenic to weeds
To navigate among the different groups of entomopathogenic fungi use the box on the upper right or the following list (alternatively, you can of course use the wiki search function):
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