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Ophiocordyceps
Genus of fungi From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ophiocordyceps is a genus of fungi within the family Ophiocordycipitaceae.[2] The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch in 1931,[3] contains about 140 species that grow on insects.[4] Anamorphic genera that correspond with Ophiocordyceps species are Hirsutella, Hymenostilbe, Isaria, Paraisaria, and Syngliocladium.[5]
One species complex, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, is known for its parasitism on ants, in which it alters the behavior of the ants in such a way as to propagate itself more effectively, killing the ant and then growing its fruiting bodies from the ant's head and releasing its spores.[6][7][8][9] To accomplish this, infected ants are stripped of their instinctive fear of heights, and leaving the relative safety of their nests, climb up the nearest plant—a syndrome known as "summit disease".[10] The ant clamps its jaws around the plant in a "death grip" and following, mycelia grow from the ant's feet and stitch them to the surface of the plant.[10] The spores released from the ant carcass fall to the ground and infect other ants that come in contact with the spores so that this cycle continues.[11] Areas with high densities of ants that have this fungus growing out of them are known as graveyards.[11]
A 48-million-year-old fossil of an ant in the death-grip of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis was discovered in Germany.[12]
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Sources and uses
Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a species that infects the larvae of Tibetan ghost moths, and is used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine.[13][14][15] There is currently no scientific evidence that use of this species has any clinically detectable effect on human diseases.[14]
Ophiocordyceps robertsii is used by the Māori people of New Zealand as food and a source of ink for tattoos. The charred insect-fungus complex was mixed with tree sap to make an almost black ink.[16]
Ophiocordyceps nutans in its anamorphic form Hymenostilbe nutans is used as a biological control for stinkbugs.[17]
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Non-insect hosts
One not-yet-named fungus that falls into Ophiocordyceps infects juvenile edible crabs. Infection is fatal once the fungus becomes established in the hemocoel.[18]
Species
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- Ophiocordyceps arborescens
- Ophiocordyceps acicularis
- Ophiocordyceps agriotidis
- Ophiocordyceps ainictos
- Ophiocordyceps amazonica
- Ophiocordyceps amazonica var. neoamazonica
- Ophiocordyceps aphodii
- Ophiocordyceps appendiculata
- Ophiocordyceps arachneicola
- Ophiocordyceps araracuarensis
- Ophiocordyceps arbuscula
- Ophiocordyceps armeniaca
- Ophiocordyceps asyuënsis
- Ophiocordyceps aurantia
- Ophiocordyceps australis
- Ophiocordyceps barnesii
- Ophiocordyceps bicephala
- Ophiocordyceps brunneipunctata
- Ophiocordyceps bispora
- Ophiocordyceps blattae
- Ophiocordyceps blattarioides
- Ophiocordyceps caloceroides
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-chartificis
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani[20]
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-melanotici
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-novogranadensis
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-rufipedis
- Ophiocordyceps camponoti-sexguttati
- Ophiocordyceps cantharelloides
- Ophiocordyceps carabidicola
- Ophiocordyceps cicadicola
- Ophiocordyceps clavata
- Ophiocordyceps clavulata
- Ophiocordyceps coccidiicola
- Ophiocordyceps coccigena
- Ophiocordyceps cochlidiicola
- Ophiocordyceps coenomyia
- Ophiocordyceps communis
- Ophiocordyceps corallomyces
- Ophiocordyceps crassispora
- Ophiocordyceps crinalis
- Ophiocordyceps cuboidea
- Ophiocordyceps cucumispora
- Ophiocordyceps cucumispora var. dolichoderi
- Ophiocordyceps curculionum
- Ophiocordyceps cylindrostromata
- Ophiocordyceps daceti
- Ophiocordyceps dayiensis
- Ophiocordyceps dermapterigena
- Ophiocordyceps dipterigena
- Ophiocordyceps discoideicapitata
- Ophiocordyceps ditmarii
- Ophiocordyceps dovei
- Ophiocordyceps elateridicola
- Ophiocordyceps elongata
- Ophiocordyceps elongatiperitheciata
- Ophiocordyceps elongatistromata
- Ophiocordyceps emeiensis
- Ophiocordyceps engleriana
- Ophiocordyceps entomorrhiza
- Ophiocordyceps evansii
- Ophiocordyceps evdogeorgiae
- Ophiocordyceps falcata
- Ophiocordyceps falcatoides
- Ophiocordyceps fasciculatistromata
- Ophiocordyceps ferruginosa
- Ophiocordyceps filiformis
- Ophiocordyceps formicarum
- Ophiocordyceps forquignonii
- Ophiocordyceps fulgoromorphila
- Ophiocordyceps furcicaudata
- Ophiocordyceps gansuënsis
- Ophiocordyceps geniculata
- Ophiocordyceps gentilis
- Ophiocordyceps glaziovii
- Ophiocordyceps goniophora
- Ophiocordyceps gracilioides
- Ophiocordyceps gracilis
- Ophiocordyceps gryllotalpae
- Ophiocordyceps halabalaensis
- Ophiocordyceps heteropoda
- Ophiocordyceps hirsutellae
- Ophiocordyceps hiugensis
- Ophiocordyceps huberiana
- Ophiocordyceps humbertii
- Ophiocordyceps indica
- Ophiocordyceps insignis
- Ophiocordyceps irangiensis
- Ophiocordyceps japonensis
- Ophiocordyceps jiangxiensis
- Ophiocordyceps jinggangshanensis
- Ophiocordyceps kangdingensis
- Ophiocordyceps kniphofioides
- Ophiocordyceps kniphofioides var. dolichoderi
- Ophiocordyceps kniphofioides var. monacidis
- Ophiocordyceps kniphofioides var. ponerinarum
- Ophiocordyceps koningsbergeri
- Ophiocordyceps konnoana
- Ophiocordyceps lachnopoda
- Ophiocordyceps laojunshanensis
- Ophiocordyceps larvarum
- Ophiocordyceps larvicola
- Ophiocordyceps lloydii
- Ophiocordyceps lloydii var. binata
- Ophiocordyceps longissima
- Ophiocordyceps lutea
- Ophiocordyceps macroacicularis
- Ophiocordyceps macularis
- Ophiocordyceps melolonthae
- Ophiocordyceps melolonthae var. rickii
- Ophiocordyceps michiganensis
- Ophiocordyceps minutissima
- Ophiocordyceps monticola
- Ophiocordyceps mrciensis
- Ophiocordyceps multiaxialis
- Ophiocordyceps myrmecophila
- Ophiocordyceps myrmicarum
- Ophiocordyceps naomipierceae
- Ophiocordyceps neovolkiana
- Ophiocordyceps nepalensis
- Ophiocordyceps nigra
- Ophiocordyceps nigrella
- Ophiocordyceps nigripes
- Ophiocordyceps nutans
- Ophiocordyceps obtusa
- Ophiocordyceps octospora
- Ophiocordyceps odonatae
- Ophiocordyceps oecophyllae
- Ophiocordyceps osuzumontana
- Ophiocordyceps owariensis
- Ophiocordyceps owariensis f. viridescens
- Ophiocordyceps oxycephala
- Ophiocordyceps paludosa
- Ophiocordyceps paracuboidea
- Ophiocordyceps pentatomae
- Ophiocordyceps petchii
- Ophiocordyceps proliferans
- Ophiocordyceps prolifica
- Ophiocordyceps pruinosa
- Ophiocordyceps pseudolloydii
- Ophiocordyceps pseudolongissima
- Ophiocordyceps pulvinata
- Ophiocordyceps purpureostromata
- Ophiocordyceps purpureostromata f. recurvata
- Ophiocordyceps ravenelii
- Ophiocordyceps rhizoidea
- Ophiocordyceps ridleyi
- Ophiocordyceps robertsii - Vegetable caterpillar, āwheto
- Ophiocordyceps rubripunctata
- Ophiocordyceps rubiginosiperitheciata
- Ophiocordyceps ryogamiensis
- Ophiocordyceps salebrosa
- Ophiocordyceps salganeicola
- Ophiocordyceps satoi
- Ophiocordyceps scottiana
- Ophiocordyceps selkirkii
- Ophiocordyceps sichuanensis
- Ophiocordyceps smithii
- Ophiocordyceps sobolifera
- Ophiocordyceps sinensis—Caterpillar fungus, chong cao
- Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala
- Ophiocordyceps stipillata
- Ophiocordyceps stylophora
- Ophiocordyceps subflavida
- Ophiocordyceps subunilateralis
- Ophiocordyceps superficialis
- Ophiocordyceps superficialis f. crustacea
- Ophiocordyceps takaoënsis
- Ophiocordyceps taylorii
- Ophiocordyceps thyrsoides
- Ophiocordyceps tiputini
- Ophiocordyceps tricentri
- Ophiocordyceps truncata
- Ophiocordyceps uchiyamae
- Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
- Ophiocordyceps unilateralis var. clavata
- Ophiocordyceps variabilis
- Ophiocordyceps voeltzkowii
- Ophiocordyceps volkiana
- Ophiocordyceps wuyishanensis
- Ophiocordyceps yakusimensis
- Ophiocordyceps zhangjiajiensis
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Phylogeny
A relatively broad phylogeny of the genus was published in 2024 as part of the effort to distinguish more species from inside the O. sinensis complex.[21]
In popular culture
Simply referred to as "cordyceps", an unspecified species in this genus is the cause of a worldwide pandemic and the zombie-like "infected" in the 2013 video game The Last of Us, its 2020 sequel, and the 2023 television adaptation.This was covered by the microbiology-themed Small things considered blog Zombie Ants and the Evolution of Mind Control.
In the 2014 novel The Girl with All the Gifts and its 2016 film adaptation, a mutation of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is responsible for an infection that causes the collapse of civilization.
In the 2022 comic-book series Poison Ivy written by G. Willow Wilson, the titular character makes use of a fictitious species belonging to this genus.
The Pokémon Paras and Parasect are based on insects parasitized by Ophiocordyceps.
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See also
References
External links
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