Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala

Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala is a species of insect-pathogenic fungus, meaning it grows within insects, particularly wasps of the genera Polistes, Tachytes, and Vespa. It has been reported across the Americas and China.^[2]

Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Sordariomycetes
Order:	Hypocreales
Family:	Ophiocordycipitaceae
Genus:	Ophiocordyceps
Species:	O. sphecocephala
Binomial name
Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala (Klotzsch ex Berk.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora (2007)
Synonyms[1]
Cordyceps sphaecophila (Klotzsch ex Berk.) Berk. & M.A. Curtis (1868) Cordyceps sphecocephala (Klotzsch ex Berk.) Berk. & M.A. Curtis (1869) Sphaeria sphecocephala Klotzsch ex Berk. (1843) Torrubia sphecocephala (Klotzsch ex Berk.) Tul. & C. Tul. (1865)

Physically, its stromata can be 2–10 cm long and form an egg-shaped head. It is cream or yellow in color.^[2]

The fungus has possible implications in medicine; it may have anti-asthmatic or anti-cancer properties.^[3][4]

After the fungus takes over the insect, the insect would go to the highest place and the fungus would sprout out of the body.

There have been studies that show that a higher mycelial yield of Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala was found in mediums containing organic nitrogen while those not containing organic nitrogen produced lower yield of mycelium. This shows that the presence of organic nitrogen is essential for the growth of Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala.