''Zoophthora'' is a genus 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 ...
in the family
Entomophthoraceae. Like other taxa in this family, ''Zoophthora'' species cause disease in insects and as such are considered
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 ...
.
Like most entomopathogenic fungal taxa, ''Zoophthora'' has been studied largely in the context of biological control of insect pest species.
However, recent research indicates that many fungal taxa that have historically been considered entomopathogenic (e.g., ''Zoophthora'') may serve diverse ecological roles as free-living members of the
rhizosphere
The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil or Substrate (biology), substrate that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms known as the root microbiome. Pore space in soil, Soil pores in the rhizosphere can ...
, as
endophytes
An endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus, that lives within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in all species of plants studied to date; ...
of plant tissue, and as
saprobes.
History
The genus ''Zoophthora'' was first formally described by Batko in 1964; however, in 1966 Batko divided ''Zoophthora'' into four sub-genera. In 1989 Humber promoted Batko's four sub-genera to a single genus: ''Zoophthora''.
Recent systematic research has yielded support for the monophyly of ''Zoophthora'', as well as its distinctness at the generic level.
Life cycle
''Zoophthora'' species parasitize insects, using their host's body as a source of nutrition and as a site for reproduction.
In order to infect a potential insect host, fungal tissue (generally as