Metarhizium
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox
Metarhizium[1] is a genus of 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 the asexual forms (anamorphs) of fungi in the phylum Ascomycota, including Metacordyceps spp.
Species
Before molecular techniques were introduced at the end of the 20th century, Metarhizium species were identified on morphological (notably conidial) characteristics. The 'original' species included: M. anisopliae (with M.a. var. major), M. brunneum, M. cicadinum, M. cylindrosporum, M. flavoviride, M. taii, M. truncatum, and M. viridicolumnare. In 2009, nine former varieties of the type species M. anisopliae were assigned species status.[2] New species have continued to be identified, with original names sometimes re-instated (notably M. brunneum). The first complete chromosome length genome sequence for any Metarhizium was carried out for this species at Swansea University in 2021.[3]
The Index Fungorum currently (April 2024) lists:[4]
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- Metarhizium acridum Template:Au
- Metarhizium alvesii Template:Au
- Metarhizium anisopliae Template:Au
- Metarhizium argentinense Template:Au
- Metarhizium atrovirens Template:Au
- Metarhizium baoshanense Template:Au
- Metarhizium bibionidarum Template:Au
- Metarhizium biotecense Template:Au
- Metarhizium blattodeae Template:Au
- Metarhizium brachyspermum Template:Au
- Metarhizium brasiliense Template:Au
- Metarhizium brittlebankisoides Template:Au
- Metarhizium brunneum Template:Au
- Metarhizium campsosterni Template:Au
- Metarhizium candelabrum Template:Au
- Metarhizium cercopidarum Template:Au
- Metarhizium chaiyaphumense Template:Au
- Metarhizium cicadae Template:Au
- Metarhizium cicadinum Template:Au
- Metarhizium clavatum Template:Au
- Metarhizium culicidarum Template:Au
- Metarhizium cylindrosporum Template:Au
- Metarhizium dendrolimi Template:Au
- Metarhizium eburneum Template:Au
- Metarhizium ellipsoideum Template:Au
- Metarhizium flavoviride Template:Au
- Metarhizium flavum Template:Au
- Metarhizium frigidum Template:Au
- Metarhizium fusoideum Template:Au
- Metarhizium gaoligongense Template:Au
- Metarhizium globosum Template:Au
- Metarhizium granulomatis Template:Au
- Metarhizium gryllidicola Template:Au
- Metarhizium guniujiangense Template:Au
- Metarhizium huainamdangense Template:Au
- Metarhizium humberi Template:Au
- Metarhizium indigoticum Template:Au
- Metarhizium kalasinense Template:Au
- Metarhizium koreanum Template:Au
- Metarhizium lepidiotae Template:Au
- Metarhizium lepidopterorum Template:Au
- Metarhizium macrosemiae Template:Au
- Metarhizium majus Template:Au
- Metarhizium megapomponiae Template:Au
- Metarhizium minus Template:Au
- Metarhizium niveum Template:Au
- Metarhizium nornnoi Template:Au
- Metarhizium novozealandicum Template:Au
- Metarhizium ovoidosporum Template:Au
- Metarhizium owariense Template:Au
- Metarhizium pemphigi Template:Au
- Metarhizium phasmatodeae Template:Au
- Metarhizium phuwiangense Template:Au
- Metarhizium prachinense Template:Au
- Metarhizium pseudoatrovirens Template:Au
- Metarhizium purpureogenum Template:Au
- Metarhizium purpureonigrum Template:Au
- Metarhizium purpureum Template:Au
- Metarhizium putuoense Template:Au
- Metarhizium reniforme Template:Au
- Metarhizium rileyi Template:Au
- Metarhizium robertsii Template:Au
- Metarhizium rongjiangense Template:Au
- Metarhizium samlanense Template:Au
- Metarhizium sulphureum Template:Au
- Metarhizium synnematis Template:Au
- Metarhizium taii Template:Au
- Metarhizium takense Template:Au
- Metarhizium truncatum Template:Au
- Metarhizium viride Template:Au
- Metarhizium viridicolumnare Template:Au
- Metarhizium viridulum Template:Au
- Metarhizium puerense Template:Au
Other reclassified species names
- M. glutinosum is now placed in the Stachybotryaceae as Albifimbria (Myrothecium) verrucaria (Alb. & Schwein.) L. Lombard & Crous[5]
- species now placed in other genera in the Clavicipitaceae include:[4]
- M. album Petch, 1931 and other names now assigned to M. anisopliae (see synonyms)
- M. aciculare Template:Au is now Keithomyces acicularis
- M. carneum Template:Au is now Keithomyces carneus
- M. khaoyaiense Template:Au is now Purpureomyces khaoyaiensis
- M. kusanagiense Template:Au is now Yosiokobayasia kusanagiensis
- M. marquandii Template:Au is now Marquandomyces marquandii
- M. martiale Template:Au is now Nigelia martialis Template:Au[6]
- M. yongmunense Template:Au is now Sungia yongmunensis
Teleomorphs
The teleomorphs of Metarhizium species appear to be members of the genus Metacordyceps.[7] Metacordyceps taii (as Cordyceps taii) has been described as the teleomorph of Metarhizium taii:[8] [9] a name that has now been restored.
Whether the other varieties of M. anisopliae have their own teleomorphs is not yet clear. Some, if not most, strains of M. anisopliae possibly have lost the capability of reproducing sexually.
Natural pesticide
The artificially grown fungi's spores are also used as a natural pesticide. Certain strains are advised against use in food-growing fields and in close proximity to water sources due to risk of their contamination.[10][note 1]
Locust control
In the 1990s, the LUBILOSA research programme proved that M. acridum in its spore form was effective in killing locusts and other members of the Acrididea families with no deleterious effects found in field trials on any nontarget species except for the domesticated silk worm Bombyx mori.[11] It is currently produced as a biopesticide under the name Novacrid by the company Eléphant Vert in their factory in Meknès, Morocco.[12] The same company recently (2019) obtained the licence to produce and market the original product developed by LUBILOSA, which is called Green Muscle. A third product, Green Guard, is produced by BASF of Australia for the control of Australian plague locusts and wingless grasshoppers.[13]
Notes
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- ↑ In this case only Metarhizium anisopliae F52 strain is concerned.
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References
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- ↑ Sorokīn (1879) Veg. Parasitenk. Mensch Tieren 2: 268.
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- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Lombard L, Crous PW (2016) in: Lombard, Houbraken, Decock, Samson, Meijer, Réblová, Groenewald & Crous Persoonia 36: 177.
- ↑ Luangsa-ard, Thanakitpipattana (2017) in: Luangsa-ard, Mongkolsamrit, Thanakitpipattana, Khonsanit, Tasanathai, Noisripoom, Humber. Index Fungorum 345: 1.
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