Ophiocordyceps
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''Ophiocordyceps'' is a
genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...
within the
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Ophiocordycipitaceae Ophiocordycipitaceae is a family (biology), family of parasite, parasitic fungus, fungi in the phylum Ascomycota, class Sordariomycetes. It was created in 2007 to resolve the paraphyly of Calvicipitaceae. It was updated in 2020. Genera As accept ...
. The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch in 1931, contains about 140 species that grow on insects.
Anamorphic Anamorphic format is a cinematography technique that captures widescreen images using recording media with narrower native Aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios. Originally developed for 35 mm movie film, 35 mm film to create widescreen pres ...
genera that correspond with ''Ophiocordyceps'' species are '' Hirsutella'', '' Hymenostilbe'', '' Isaria'', '' Paraisaria'', and '' Syngliocladium''. One
species complex In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
, ''
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis ''Ophiocordyceps unilateralis'', commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, is an entomopathogenic fungus, insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the ''Ophiocordyceps unila ...
'', is known for its
parasitism Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The en ...
on
ant Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
s, 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. 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". 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. 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. Areas with high densities of ants that have this fungus growing out of them are known as graveyards. A 48-million-year-old fossil of an ant in the death-grip of ''Ophiocordyceps unilateralis'' was discovered in Germany.


Sources and uses

'' Ophiocordyceps sinensis'' is a species that infects the larvae of Tibetan ghost moths, and is used extensively in
traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...
. There is currently no
scientific evidence Scientific evidence is evidence that serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis, although scientists also use evidence in other ways, such as when applying theories to practical problems. "Discussions about empirical ev ...
that use of this species has any clinically detectable effect on human diseases. '' Ophiocordyceps robertsii'' is used by the
Māori people Māori () are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand. Māori originated with settlers from East Polynesia, who arrived in New Zealand in several waves of Māori migration canoes, c ...
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. '' Ophiocordyceps nutans'' in its anamorphic form '' Hymenostilbe nutans'' is used as a biological control for stinkbugs.


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.


Species

Reference: * '' 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'' * '' 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'', commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, is an entomopathogenic fungus, insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the ''Ophiocordyceps unila ...
'' ** ''Ophiocordyceps unilateralis'' var. ''clavata'' * '' Ophiocordyceps variabilis'' * '' Ophiocordyceps voeltzkowii'' * '' Ophiocordyceps volkiana'' * '' Ophiocordyceps wuyishanensis'' * '' Ophiocordyceps yakusimensis'' * '' Ophiocordyceps zhangjiajiensis''


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 Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
.


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 A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
, and the 2023 television adaptation. In the 2014 novel '' The Girl with All the Gifts'' and its 2016 film adaptation, a mutation of ''
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis ''Ophiocordyceps unilateralis'', commonly known as zombie-ant fungus, is an entomopathogenic fungus, insect-pathogenic fungus, discovered by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1859. Zombie ants, infected by the ''Ophiocordyceps unila ...
'' is responsible for an infection that causes the collapse of civilization. In the 2022 comic-book series ''
Poison Ivy Poison ivy is a type of allergenic plant in the genus '' Toxicodendron'' native to Asia and North America. Formerly considered a single species, '' Toxicodendron radicans'', poison ivies are now generally treated as a complex of three separate s ...
'' written by G. Willow Wilson, the titular character makes use of a fictitious species belonging to this genus. The
Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...
Paras and Parasect are based on insects parasitized by ''Ophiocordyceps''.


See also

* '' Cordyceps''


References


External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1610767 Hypocreales genera Ophiocordycipitaceae Parasites of Hymenoptera Taxa described in 1931 Taxa named by Thomas Petch