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Green muscardine fungi
1 species
Metarhizium is a genus of soil moulds that infect and kill insects and other arthropods, causing green muscardine disease. Spores stick to an insect's skin, germinate and push through the cuticle. Inside, the fungus multiplies until the host dies, then covers the body in a white mould that turns olive-green as it produces spores. Species attack more than 200 insect species and are formulated as commercial biological insecticides against beetles, weevils, flies, gnats, thrips, locusts and ticks.
Conidia typically green (olive green when mature), though white, yellow or brown in some species or strains. Infection: conidia attach to the host exoskeleton, form an appressorium and penetration peg, enter the haemocoel with the help of proteases, lipases and chitinases, then multiply as blastospores. Sexual morphs, where known, were previously named in Metacordyceps.
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Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
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