The Entomophthorales are an

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

that were previously classified in the class

Zygomycetes Zygomycota, or zygote fungi, is a former division or phylum of the kingdom Fungi. The members are now part of two phyla: the Mucoromycota and Zoopagomycota. Approximately 1060 species are known. They are mostly terrestrial in habitat, living in ...

. A new subdivision, Entomophthoromycotina, has recently been

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

for them. Most species of the Entomophthorales are pathogens of insects. A few attack

nematode The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...

s, mites, and tardigrades, and some (particularly species of the genus ''

Conidiobolus ''Conidiobolus'' is a genus of fungi in order Entomophthorales. Some species were defined in ''Conidiobolus'' but then moved into other genera such as ''Capillidium'' and ''Batkoa''. This genus can cause a human infection known as conidiobolomy ...

'') are free-living saprotrophs. The name Entomophthorales is derived from the Ancient Greek for insect destroyer ('' entomo-'' = referring to insects, and '' phthor'' = "destruction"). Pandora neoaphidis

Highlighted species

* '' Basidiobolus ranarum'', a commensal fungus of frogs and a mammal pathogen * '' Conidiobolus coronatus'', a saprotrophic fungus of leaf litter and a mammal pathogen * ''

Entomophaga maimaiga ''Entomophaga maimaiga'' is a Japanese fungus which has shown striking success in managing spongy moth populations in North America. Etymology ''Maimaiga'' is the Japanese name for the spongy moth. History In 1908, shortly after classical e ...

'', a biocontrol agent of spongy moths * ''

Entomophthora muscae ''Entomophthora muscae'' is a species of pathogenic fungus in the order Entomophthorales which causes a fatal disease in flies. It can cause epizootic outbreaks of disease in houseflies and has been investigated as a potential biological control ...

'', a pathogen of houseflies * ''

Massospora ''Massospora'' is a genus of fungi in the Entomophthoraceae family, within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012). It includes more than a dozen obligate ...

'' spp., pathogens of periodical cicadas * ''

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

'', including ''

Pandora neoaphidis In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

'', an obligate pathogen of aphids

Biology

Most species of the Entomophthorales produce ballistic asexual spores that are forcibly discharged. When not landing on a suitable host, these spores can germinate to make one of several alternate spore forms, including a smaller version of the original spore, or (in some species) an adhesive spore elevated on a very slender conidiophore called a capilliconidiophore.

Classification

Recent debate has centered on whether the

Basidiobolaceae The Basidiobolaceae are a family of fungi in the monotypic order Basidiobolales. All fungal cells of this family are exclusively uninucleate and their relatively large nuclei contain a nucleolus, but no heterochromatin.http://zygomycetes.org/inde ...

should be included in the Entomophthorales, or raised to ordinal status. Molecular systematics approaches so far give an ambiguous answer. Some analyses suggest the

are more closely related to certain chytrid fungi than to the Entomophthorales. Others find weak support to maintain them in the Entomophthorales. Morphological characters can be found to support either hypothesis. * '' Zygaenobia'' Weiser 1951 * Family

Ancylistaceae The ''Ancylistaceae'' are a family of fungi in the order Entomophthorales. The family currently contains 3 genera: '' Ancylistes'', '' Macrobiotophthora'', '' Conidiobolus''. '' Capillidium'' was added in 2020, it was once thought to be a sub-gen ...

Schröter 1893 Schröter or Schroeter may refer to: *Schröter (lunar crater), a crater on the Moon * Schroeter (Martian crater), a crater on Mars *Schröter (surname) See also * Schroter's Valley Schroter's Valley, frequently known by the Latinized name V ...

** '' Ancyclistes'' Pfitzer 1872 ** ''

'' Brefeld 1884 emend. Humber 1989 'Conidiobolus'' (''Capillidium'') Ben-Ze’ev & Kenneth 1982; ''Conidiobolus'' (''Conidiobolus'') (Brefeld) Ben-Ze’ev & Kenneth 1982; ''Conidiobolus'' (''Delacroixia'') (Sacc. & Syd.) Tyrrell & MacLeod 1972] ** ''Macrobiotophthora'' Reukauf 1912 emend. Tucker 1981 * Family Completoriaceae Humber 1989 ** ''

Completoria ''Completoria'' is a fungal genus in the monotypic family ''Completoriaceae'', of the order Entomophthorales. ''Completoria'' is itself monotypic, containing a single species, ''Completoria complens''. The species is rare, known only from green ...

'' Lohde 1874 * Family

Entomophthoraceae Entomophthoraceae is a family of fungi in the order Entomophthorales The Entomophthorales are an order of fungi that were previously classified in the class Zygomycetes. A new subdivision, Entomophthoromycotina, has recently been circumscri ...

Nowakowski 1877 mpusaceae Clem. & Shear 1931** Subfamily Erynioideae Keller 2005 assosporoideae Keller 2005*** '' Erynia'' (Nowakowski ex Batko 1966) Remaud. & Hennebert 1980.emend. Humber 1989 'Zoophthora'' (''Erynia'') Nowakowski ex Batko 1966*** ''

Eryniopsis ''Eryniopsis'' is a genus of fungi within the family of Entomophthoraceae and order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012). The genus was circumscribed by American ...

'' Humber 1984 (in part) *** '' Furia'' (Batko 1966) Humber 2005 'Zoophthora'' (''Furia'') Batko 1966; ''Erynia'' (''Furia'') (Batko 1966) Li & Humber 1984*** '' Orthomyces'' Steinkraus, Humber & Oliver 1988 *** ''

'' Humber 2005 'Erynia'' (''Neopandora'') Ben-Ze’ev & Kenneth 1982">Neopandora.html" ;"title="'Erynia'' (''Neopandora">'Erynia'' (''Neopandora'') Ben-Ze’ev & Kenneth 1982*** ''Strongwellsea'' Batko & Weiser 1965 emend. Humber 1976 *** ''Zoophthora'' Batko 1964 emend. Ben-Ze’ev & Kenneth 2005 ** Subfamily Entomophthoroideae Keller 2005 *** ''

Batkoa ''Batkoa'' is a genus of fungi within the family of Entomophthoraceae and order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota. This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012). The genus name of ''Batkoa'' is named by th ...

'' Humber 2005 *** ''

Entomophaga ''Entomophaga'' is a genus of flies in the family Tachinidae. It was reviewed by T. Tachi and H. Shima in 2006 and was found to be paraphyletic; it was also found to form a monophyletic group with '' Proceromyia''. Species *'' E. exoleta'' ( Me ...

'' Batko 1964 emend. Humber 1989 *** ''

Entomophthora ''Entomophthora'' is a fungal genus in the family Entomophthoraceae. Species in this genus are parasitic on flies and other two-winged insects. The genus was circumscribed by German physician Johann Baptist Georg Wolfgang Fresenius (1808-1866) ...

'' Fresenius 1856 'Empusa'' (''Triplosporium'') Thaxter 1888; ''Triplosporium'' (Thaxter 1888) Batko 1964] *** ''

'' Humber 1984 (in part) *** ''

'' Peck 1879 emend. Soper 1974 * Family Meristacraceae Humber 1989 ** ''

Meristacrum ''Meristacrum'' is a fungal genus in the monotypic family Meristacraceae, of the order Entomophthorales. They are parasites of soil invertebrates, they typically infect nematodes, and tardigrades.P. F. Cannon and P. M. Kirk (Editors) David J. ...

'' Drechsler 1940 emend. Tucker & Humber 1981 ** '' Tabanomyces'' Couch et al.

References

External links

* G. Benny
Entomophthorales
section of Zygomycetes.org * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1257561 Fungus orders