Ophiocordyceps

Ophiocordyceps
Dead ants infected with Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Fungi
Division:	Ascomycota
Class:	Sordariomycetes
Order:	Hypocreales
Family:	Ophiocordycipitaceae
Genus:	Ophiocordyceps Petch (1931)
Type species
Ophiocordyceps blattae (Petch) Petch (1931)
Synonyms[1]
Cordycepioideus Stifler (1941)

Ophiocordyceps is a genus of fungi within the Ophiocordycipitaceae family.^[2] The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch in 1931,^[3] contains about 140 species that grow on insects.^[4] Anamorphic genera that correspond with Ophiocordyceps species are Hirsutella, Hymenostilbe, Paraisaria, and Syngliocladium.^[5]

The fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is known for its parasitism on ants, in which it alters the behavior of the ants in such a way as to propagate itself more effectively.^[6] The fungus attacks the brain of the ant, causing it to abandon its colony. The ant then bites into the fleshy part of a leaf and stays locked in that position until it dies. The fungus is then able to spread from the ant's body to the leaf in order to repeat the cycle.^[7]

Species

• Ophiocordyceps acicularis
• Ophiocordyceps agriotidis
• Ophiocordyceps ainictos
• Ophiocordyceps amazonica
• Ophiocordyceps amazonica var. neoamazonica
• Ophiocordyceps aphodii
• Ophiocordyceps appendiculata
• Ophiocordyceps arachneicola
• Ophiocordyceps arbuscula
• Ophiocordyceps armeniaca
• Ophiocordyceps asyuënsis
• Ophiocordyceps aurantia
• Ophiocordyceps australis
• Ophiocordyceps barnesii
• Ophiocordyceps bicephala
• Ophiocordyceps brunneipunctata
• Ophiocordyceps bispora
• Ophiocordyceps blattae
• Ophiocordyceps caloceroides
• Ophiocordyceps cantharelloides
• Ophiocordyceps carabidicola
• Ophiocordyceps cicadicola
• Ophiocordyceps clavata
• Ophiocordyceps clavulata
• Ophiocordyceps coccidiicola
• Ophiocordyceps coccigena
• Ophiocordyceps cochlidiicola
• Ophiocordyceps communis
• Ophiocordyceps corallomyces
• Ophiocordyceps crassispora
• Ophiocordyceps crinalis
• Ophiocordyceps cuboidea
• Ophiocordyceps cucumispora
• Ophiocordyceps cucumispora var. dolichoderi
• Ophiocordyceps curculionum
• Ophiocordyceps cylindrostromata
• 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 evdogeorgiae
• Ophiocordyceps falcata
• Ophiocordyceps falcatoides
• Ophiocordyceps fasciculatistromata
• Ophiocordyceps ferruginosa
• Ophiocordyceps filiformis
• Ophiocordyceps formicarum
• Ophiocordyceps forquignonii
• 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 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 macularis
• Ophiocordyceps melolonthae
• Ophiocordyceps melolonthae var. rickii
• Ophiocordyceps michiganensis
• Ophiocordyceps minutissima
• Ophiocordyceps monticola
• Ophiocordyceps mrciensis
• Ophiocordyceps multiaxialis
• Ophiocordyceps myrmecophila
• Ophiocordyceps neovolkiana
• Ophiocordyceps nepalensis
• Ophiocordyceps nigra
• Ophiocordyceps nigrella
• Ophiocordyceps nigripes
• Ophiocordyceps nutans
• Ophiocordyceps obtusa
• Ophiocordyceps octospora
• Ophiocordyceps odonatae
• 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
• Ophiocordyceps rubripunctata
• Ophiocordyceps rubiginosiperitheciata
• Ophiocordyceps ryogamiensis
• Ophiocordyceps salebrosa
• Ophiocordyceps scottiana
• Ophiocordyceps selkirkii
• Ophiocordyceps sichuanensis
• Ophiocordyceps smithii
• Ophiocordyceps sobolifera
• Ophiocordyceps sinensis
• Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala
• Ophiocordyceps stipillata
• Ophiocordyceps stylophora
• Ophiocordyceps subflavida
• Ophiocordyceps subunilateralis
• Ophiocordyceps superficialis
• Ophiocordyceps superficialis f. crustacea
• Ophiocordyceps takaoënsis
• Ophiocordyceps taylorii
• Ophiocordyceps thyrsoides
• Ophiocordyceps tricentri
• Ophiocordyceps truncata
• Ophiocordyceps uchiyamae
• Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
• Ophiocordyceps unilateralis var. clavata
• Ophiocordyceps variabilis
• Ophiocordyceps voeltzkowii
• Ophiocordyceps volkiana
• Ophiocordyceps wuyishanensis
• Ophiocordyceps yakusimensis
• Ophiocordyceps zhangjiajiensis

References

1. ^ "Ophiocordyceps Petch 1931". MycoBank. Internationaol Mycological Association. http://www.mycobank.org/MycoTaxo.aspx?Link=T&Rec=3598. Retrieved 2011-07-19. 
2. ^ Lumbsch TH, Huhndorf SM. (December 2007). "Outline of Ascomycota – 2007". Myconet (The Field Museum, Department of Botany, Chicago, USA) 13: 1–58. http://www.fieldmuseum.org/myconet/outline.asp. 
3. ^ Petch T. (1931). "Notes on entomogenous fungi". Transactions of the British Mycological Society 16 (1): 55–75. doi:10.1016/S0007-1536(31)80006-3. http://www.cybertruffle.org.uk/cyberliber/59351/0016/001/0055.htm. 
4. ^ Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA. (2008). Dictionary of the Fungi (10th ed.). Wallingford, UK: CABI. p. 483. ISBN 9780851998268. 
5. ^ Sung G-H, Hywel-Jones NL, Sung J-M, Luangsa-ard JJ, Shrestha B, Spatafora JW. (2007). "Phylogenetic classification of Cordyceps and the clavicipitaceous fungi". Studies in Mycology 57: 5–59. doi:10.3114/sim.2007.57.01. 
6. ^ Pontoppidan M-B, Himaman W, Hywel-Jones NL, Boomsma JJ, Hughes DP. (2009). "Graveyards on the move: the spatio-temporal distribution of dead Orphiocordyceps-infected ants". PLoS ONE 4 (3): e4835. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004835. PMC 2652714. PMID 19279680. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2652714. 
7. ^ In Fossilized Leaf, Clues to a Zombie Ant, by Sindya N Bhanoo New York Times 24 August, 2010

External links

• Article and video showing Ophiocordyceps fungus in action.