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Metarhizium majus[1] is the name given to a group of fungal isolates that are known to be virulent against Scarabaeidae, a family of beetles. Previously, this species has had variety status in Metarhizium anisopliae (var. majus) and its name is derived from characteristically very large spores (typically 2.5–4 μm x 10–14 μm long) for the genus Metarhizium. There has been considerable interest in developing isolates of this species into mycoinsecticides: especially against the coconut and oil palm beetle pest Oryctes in SE Asia, the Pacific region and Africa.
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Metarhizium majus infected Oryctes rhinoceros larva with hyphal (whitish colour) and conidia sporulation/geminating (greenish colour) from its cuticle. -
Stages of Oryctes rhinoceros 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, a suggested teleomorph was Cordyceps brittlebankisoides.[2]
Important isolates
- The epitype is isolate ARSEF 1914: derived from a dried US National Fungus Collection culture (BPI 878297)[1].
References
- ^ Bischoff J.F., Rehner S.A. and Humber R.A. (2009). "A multilocus phylogeny of the Metarhizium anisopliae lineage". Mycologia. 101 (4): 512–530. doi:10.3852/07-202. PMID 19623931.
- ^ Liu, Z.; et al. (2002). "Molecular evidence for teleomorph-anamorph connections in Cordyceps based on ITS-5.8S rDNA sequences". Mycological Research. 106 (9): 1100–1108. doi:10.1017/S0953756202006378.
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