''Gibellula pulchra'' is a species of parasitic fungus found on arachnids. The species ''Gibellula pulchra'' is commonly found around the world. The genus ''Gibellula'' was named after Prof. Giuseppe Gibelli. Some researchers have mistaken '' Gibellula suffulata'' as ''Gibellula pulchra'' though they are different species from the same genus that both prey on arachnids. Specimens of ''Gibellula pulchra'' from North America are held in various collections facilities: the Herbarium of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, Herbarium of

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

, Mycological Collection of the U.S. Bureau of Plant Industry, Herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden, and

Farlow Herbarium Farlow may refer to: * Farlow, Shropshire, England * Farlow (surname) * Farlow Herbarium of Cryptogamic Botany, a herbarium and library at Harvard University See also * Farlow and Kendrick Parks Historic District, Newton, Massachusetts * Farlow ...

Habitat

Like other

Ascomycetes Ascomycota is a phylum of the kingdom Fungi that, together with the Basidiomycota, forms the subkingdom Dikarya. Its members are commonly known as the sac fungi or ascomycetes. It is the largest phylum of Fungi, with over 64,000 species. The defi ...

''Gibellula pulchra'' can be found under stones, bark, leaves, on decaying logs, or in hidden burrows of plant matter on the forest floor. Often ''Gibellula pulchra'' is more clearly identified after entering an arachnid, enveloping their host, and growing on their cadavers. Once spiders die from the ''Gibellula pulchra'' pathogenic fungi, ''G. pulchra'' produces a large fruiting body out of the cadaver.

Biology

Gibellula is a parasitoid from the Cordyciptaceae family. In order to attach to a host, ''Gibellula pulchra'' sends out spores. When an unlucky spider comes in contact with a spore from ''Gibellula pulchra'', the spores germinate on and envelop the spider host. After germinating, ''Gibellula pulchra'' penetrates the host body with a yellow coat of

mycelium Mycelium (plural mycelia) is a root-like structure of a fungus consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. Fungal colonies composed of mycelium are found in and on soil and many other substrate (biology), substrates. A typical single ...

and digests the spider from the inside out, when the spider has died, stiff lavender clavae begin to shoot up out of the spider cadaver. ''Gibellula pulchra'' does not digest the exoskeletons of arachnids which is why the shape of the spider is still visible after ''Gibellula pulchra'' has enveloped and killed its host. Not long after the spider host dies, the colors of the mycelium and clavae fade to a cream or ashy color.

References

Note sur Gibellula pulchra (Hypocreales), un hyphomycète parasite des araignéesCurtis's botanical magazine
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10504778 Cordycipitaceae Parasitic fungi Fungi described in 1877 Taxa named by Pier Andrea Saccardo