Ophiocordyceps is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of fungi within the Ophiocordycipitaceae

Ophiocordycipitaceae

The Ophiocordycipitaceae are a family of fungi in the Ascomycota, class Sordariomycetes.-Genera:*Elaphocordyceps*Haptocillium*Harposporium*Hirsutella*Hymenostilbe*Ophiocordyceps*Paraisaria*Purpureocillium...

 family. The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch

Tom Petch

Thomas Petch was a prolific English mycologist and plant pathologist best remembered for his work on the interaction between fungi and insects....

 in 1931, contains about 140 species that grow on insects. Anamorphic genera that correspond with Ophiocordyceps species are Hirsutella

Hirsutella

Hirsutella is a genus of asexually reproducing fungi in the Ophiocordycipitaceae family. Originally described by French mycologist Narcisse Théophile Patouillard in 1892, this genus includes species that are pathogens of insects, mites and nematodes; there is interest in the use of these fungi as...

, Hymenostilbe

Hymenostilbe

Hymenostilbe is a genus of fungi in the Ophiocordycipitaceae family.-Species:*Hymenostilbe ampullifera*Hymenostilbe aphidis*Hymenostilbe aurantiaca*Hymenostilbe australiensis*Hymenostilbe campanoti*Hymenostilbe dipterigena...

, Paraisaria

Paraisaria

Paraisaria is a genus of fungi in the Ophiocordycipitaceae family....

, and Syngliocladium

Syngliocladium

Syngliocladium is a genus of anamorphic fungi within the Ophiocordycipitaceae family....

.

The fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is known for its parasitism on ant

Ant

Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...

s, in which it alters the behavior of the ants in such a way as to propagate itself more effectively. 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.

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

External links

• Article and video showing Ophiocordyceps fungus in action.