''Entomophaga'' is a genus of
entomopathogenic fungi
Entomopathogenic fungi are parasitic unicellular or multicellular microorganisms belonging to the kingdom of Fungi, that can infect and seriously disable or kill insects.
Pathogenicity for insects is widely distributed in the kingdom of fungi and ...
in the
Entomophthoraceae
Entomophthoraceae is a family of fungi in the order Entomophthorales. This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012).Gryganskyi AP, Humber RA, Smith ME et al (2012) Molecular phylogeny of the Entomophthoromyco ...
family and also the order
Entomophthorales
The Entomophthorales are an order of fungi that were previously classified in the class Zygomycetes. A new subdivision, Entomophthoromycotina, in 2007, was circumscribed for them.
Most species of the entomophthorales are pathogens of insects ...
. This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012).
[Gryganskyi AP, Humber RA, Smith ME et al (2012) Molecular phylogeny of the Entomophthoromycota. Mol Phylogenet Evol 65:682–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.07.026]
Well-known species are ''Entomophaga grylli'' and ''Entomophaga maimaiga'', which can infect
grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are amongst what are possibly the most ancient living groups of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grassh ...
s and
gypsy moth
''Lymantria dispar'', also known as the gypsy moth or the spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae native to Europe and Asia. ''Lymantria dispar'' is subdivided into several subspecies, with subspecies such as '' L. d. dispar'' ...
s respectively.
The genus name of ''Entomophaga'' was derived from combining two words in the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
, ''entomon'' means ''insect'' and ''phaga'' means ''to eat''. The genus was created in 1964 by the Polish mycologist Andrzej Batko (1933 - 1997). He wrote “... to commemorate the international journal Entomophaga devoted to problems of biological control of insect pests.”
[Batko, A. 1964. Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci., Série des sciences biologiques 12, 323-326] The journal later ceased publication in 1998 and was replaced by
BioControl
Biological control or biocontrol is a method of pest control, controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or phytopathology, plants by bioeffector, using other organisms. It relies o ...
.
Species
As accepted by
Species Fungorum
''Index Fungorum'' is an international project to index all formal names (Binomial nomenclature, scientific names) in the fungus Kingdom (biology), kingdom. As of 2015, the project is based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, one of three partn ...
;
* ''
Entomophaga antochae''
S. Keller, 2007
* ''
Entomophaga apiculata''
( Thaxt.) S. Keller, 1991
* ''
Entomophaga aulicae''
(E. Reichardt) Humber, 1984
* ''
Entomophaga batkoi''
(Balazy) S. Keller, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga bukidnonensis''
Villac. & Wilding, 1994
* ''
Entomophaga calopteni''
(Bessey) Humber, 1989
* ''
Entomophaga caroliniana
''Entomophaga'' is the scientific name of two genera of organisms and may refer to:
* ''Entomophaga'' (fly), a genus of insects in the family Tachinidae
* ''Entomophaga'' (fungus), a genus of fungi in the family Entomophthoraceae
{{Genus dis ...
''
(Thaxt.) Samson, H.C. Evans & Latgé, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga conglomerata''
(Sorokin) S. Keller, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga destruens''
(Weiser & A. Batko) A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga diprionis
''Entomophaga'' is the scientific name of two genera of organisms and may refer to:
* ''Entomophaga'' (fly), a genus of insects in the family Tachinidae
* ''Entomophaga'' (fungus), a genus of fungi in the family Entomophthoraceae
{{Genus dis ...
''
Balazy, 1993
* ''
Entomophaga domestica''
S. Keller, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga gigantea''
(S. Keller) S. Keller, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga grylli''
( Fresen.) A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga kansana''
(J.A. Hutchison) A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga lagriae''
Balazy, 1993
* ''
Entomophaga limoniae''
S. Keller, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga maimaiga
''Entomophaga maimaiga'' is a Japanese fungus which has shown striking success in managing spongy moth populations in North America.
Etymology
''Maimaiga'' is the Japanese name for the spongy moth.
History
In 1908, shortly after classical e ...
''
Humber, Shimazu & R.S. Soper, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga major''
(Thaxt.) S. Keller, 1991
* ''
Entomophaga obscura
''Entomophaga'' is the scientific name of two genera of organisms and may refer to:
* ''Entomophaga'' (fly), a genus of insects in the family Tachinidae
* ''Entomophaga'' (fungus), a genus of fungi in the family Entomophthoraceae
{{Genus dis ...
''
(I.M. Hall & P.H. Dunn) A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga papillata''
(Thaxt.) S. Keller, 1988
* ''
Entomophaga ptychopterae''
(S. Keller & Eilenberg) A.E. Hajek & Eilenberg, 2003
* ''
Entomophaga pyriformis''
Balazy, 1993
* ''
Entomophaga saccharina
''Entomophaga'' is the scientific name of two genera of organisms and may refer to:
* ''Entomophaga'' (fly), a genus of insects in the family Tachinidae
* ''Entomophaga'' (fungus), a genus of fungi in the family Entomophthoraceae
{{Genus dis ...
''
(Giard) A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga tabanivora''
(J.F. Anderson & Magnar.) Humber, 1984
* ''
Entomophaga tenthredinis''
(Fresen.) A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga thaxteriana''
A. Batko, 1964
* ''
Entomophaga thuricensis''
S. Keller, 2007
* ''
Entomophaga tipulae''
(Fresen.) Humber, 1989
* ''
Entomophaga transitans''
(S. Keller) A.E. Hajek & Eilenberg, 2003
References
Entomophthorales
Parasitic fungi
Fungus genera
{{Entomophthorales-stub