About Metarhizium anisopliae BRIP 53293 (GCA_000426965)

Metarhizium anisopliae, formerly known as Entomophthora anisopliae (basionym), is a fungus that grows naturally in soils throughout the world and causes disease in various insects by acting as a parasitoid. Ilya I. Mechnikov named it after the insect species from which it was originally isolated - the beetle Anisoplia austriaca. It is a mitosporic fungus with asexual reproduction, which was formerly classified in the form class Hyphomycetes of the phylum Deuteromycota (also often called Fungi Imperfecti). According to Paul Stamets, it could be the answer to prevent colony collapse disorder and catastrophic famine.

Many isolates have long been recognised to be specific, and they were assigned variety status, but they have now been assigned as new Metarhizium species, such as M. anisopliae, M. majus and M. acridum (which was M. anisopliae var. acridum and included the isolates used for locust control). Metarhizium taii was placed in M. anisopliae var. anisopliae, but has now been described as a synonym of M. guizhouense (see Metarhizium). The commercially important isolate M.a. 43 (or F52, Met52, etc.), which infects Coleoptera and other insect orders has now been assigned to Metarhizium brunneum.

(Text and image from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.)

Taxonomy ID 1291518

Data source EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University

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