Lecanicillium

Lecanicillium is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described.^[1] Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viegas.^[2] This genus was first named and introduced by Rasoul Zare (IRIPP) and Walter Gams (CBS).

Lecanicillium
Lecanicillium cauligalbarum. a Synnemata emerged from the corpse of a stemborer (Lepidoptera) b Culture plate, showing the front (upper) and the back (lower) of the colony, cultured on PDA medium c–e Phialides solitary or in 2–3 whorls f–g Conidia. Scale bars: 10 mm (b, c, e), 5 μm (d, f, g)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Sordariomycetes
Order:	Hypocreales
Family:	Cordycipitaceae
Genus:	Lecanicillium W.Gams & Zare (2001)
Type species
Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimm.) Zare & W.Gams (2001)

Species

The IndexFungorum records the following species:

• Lecanicillium acerosum W. Gams, H.C. Evans & Zare 2001
• Lecanicillium antillanum (R.F. Castañeda & G.R.W. Arnold) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium aphanocladii Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium aranearum (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium araneicola Sukarno & Kurihara 2009
• Lecanicillium attenuatum Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium dimorphum (J.D. Chen) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium evansii Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium flavidum (W. Gams & Zaayen) W. Gams & Zare 2008
• Lecanicillium fungicola (Preuss) Zare & W. Gams 2008; Anamorphic Cordycipitaceae
  • Lecanicillium fungicola var. aleophilum (W. Gams & Zaayen) W. Gams & Zare 2008
  • Lecanicillium fungicola var. fungicola (Preuss) Zare & W. Gams 2008
• Lecanicillium fusisporum (W. Gams) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium kalimantanense Kurihara & Sukarno 2009
• Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimm.) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of soft scale insects (Coccidae)
• Lecanicillium longisporum (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of aphids
• Lecanicillium muscarium (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of whiteflies and thrips
• Lecanicillium nodulosum (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium pissodis Kope & I. Leal 2006
• Lecanicillium psalliotae (Treschew) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium saksenae (Kushwaha) Kurihara & Sukarno 2009
• Lecanicillium tenuipes (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001
• Lecanicillium wallacei (H.C. Evans) H.C. Evans & Zare 2008

At least 15 products based on Lecanicillium spp. have been, or are in the process of being commercialized as biological pesticides, against a variety of pests in numerous countries worldwide.^[3]