''Metarhizium majus'' is the name given to a group of fungal

isolates Isolates is a term used in developmental psychology and family studies to describe members of a study group, usually children through young adults, who do not actively participate in cliques or friendship groups. Isolates are one of four types of ...

that are known to be virulent against

Scarabaeidae The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 35,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change. Several groups formerly tre ...

, a

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 ...

of beetles. Previously, this

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

has had

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

status in ''

Metarhizium anisopliae ''Metarhizium anisopliae'' is a fungus, the type species in the ''Metarhizium'' genus. It grows naturally in soils throughout the world and causes disease in various insects by acting as a parasitoid. Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Ilya I. Mechnikov nam ...

'' (var. ''majus'') and its name is derived from characteristically very large

spores In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual (in fungi) or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plant ...

(typically 2.5–4 μm x 10–14

μm The micrometre (Commonwealth English as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: μm) or micrometer (American English), also commonly known by the non-SI term micron, is a unit of length in the International System ...

long) for the

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 ...

Metarhizium ''Metarhizium'' is a genus (biology), genus of entomopathogenic fungus, entomopathogenic fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae. With the advent of genetic profiling, placing these fungi in proper taxa has now become possible. Most turn out to be ...

''. There has been considerable interest in developing isolates of this species into mycoinsecticides: especially against the

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...

and

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Description Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can gro ...

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

pest ''

Oryctes ''Oryctes'' is the economically most important genus of rhinoceros beetles in the subfamily Dynastinae (family: Scarabaeidae) and includes serious pests of palm trees. A total of 47 species have been assigned to the genus, including 2 fossil one ...

'' in SE Asia, the Pacific region and Africa. Metarhizium majus.jpg, ''Metarhizium majus'' infected ''

Oryctes rhinoceros ''Oryctes rhinoceros'', also known as coconut rhinoceros beetle, Asiatic rhinoceros beetle, and coconut palm rhinoceros beetle, is a large species of beetle (typically 4–5 cm long), belonging to the rhinoceros beetles subfamily Dynastinae. ''O ...

'' larva with hyphal (whitish colour) and conidia sporulation/geminating (greenish colour) from its cuticle. M. majus infection stages on Oryctes rhinoceros grubs in field condition.jpg, Stages of ''

'' larva infected with ''M. majus''. From left to right, 1st column: Infection symptom with "black dotes" or necrotic spots on integument; 2nd: Mummified; Mycelium (whitish colour) grow on integument; 3rd: Conidia (greenish colour) grow on integument; 4th: Decomposed grubs. It is an

anamorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an ase ...

, a suggested

teleomorph In mycology, the terms teleomorph, anamorph, and holomorph apply to portions of the life cycles of fungi in the phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota: *Teleomorph: the sexual reproductive stage (morph), typically a fruiting body. *Anamorph: an ase ...

was ''

Cordyceps ''Cordyceps'' is a genus of ascomycete fungi (sac fungi) that includes over 260 species worldwide, many of which are parasitic. Diverse variants of cordyceps have had more than 1,500 years of use in Chinese medicine. Most ''Cordyceps'' specie ...

brittlebankisoides''.

Important isolates

* The epitype is isolate ARSEF 1914: derived from a dried US National Fungus Collection culture (BPI 878297)^{/sup>.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3917223

Clavicipitaceae
Parasitic fungi
Fungi described in 1915
Biopesticides
Fungus species}