''Lecanicillium'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

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 fr ...

in the order

Hypocreales The Hypocreales are an order of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes. In 2008, it was estimated that it contained some 237 genera, and 2647 species in seven families. Since then, a considerable number of further taxa have been identified, in ...

and is described as

anamorphic Anamorphic format is the cinematography technique of shooting a widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film or other visual recording media with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio. It also refers to the projection format in which a distorted ...

Cordycipitaceae; 21

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

are currently described. Some of these

entomopathogenic fungus An entomopathogenic fungus is a fungus that can kill or seriously disable insects. Typical life cycle These fungi usually attach to the external body surface of insects in the form of microscopic spores (usually asexual, mitosporic spores also ...

species were previously widely known as ''

Verticillium ''Verticillium'' is a genus of fungi in the division Ascomycota, and are an anamorphic form of the family Plectosphaerellaceae. The genus used to include diverse groups comprising saprobes and parasites of higher plants, insects, nematodes, moll ...

lecanii'' (Zimmerman) Viegas. This genus was first named and introduced by Rasoul Zare (IRIPP) and Walter Gams (CBS).

Species

The '' IndexFungorum'' records the following

: * '' Lecanicillium acerosum'' W. Gams, H.C. Evans & Zare 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium antillanum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' (R.F. Castañeda & G.R.W. Arnold) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium aphanocladii ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium aranearum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium araneicola ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' Sukarno & Kurihara 2009 * ''

Lecanicillium attenuatum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium dimorphum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' (J.D. Chen) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium evansii ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium flavidum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' (W. Gams & Zaayen) W. Gams & Zare 2008 * '' Lecanicillium fungicola'' (Preuss) Zare & W. Gams 2008; Anamorphic Cordycipitaceae ** '' Lecanicillium fungicola var. aleophilum'' (W. Gams & Zaayen) W. Gams & Zare 2008 ** '' Lecanicillium fungicola var. fungicola'' (Preuss) Zare & W. Gams 2008 * ''

Lecanicillium fusisporum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as '' Verticillium leca ...

'' (W. Gams) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * ''

Lecanicillium kalimantanense ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' Kurihara & Sukarno 2009 * ''

Lecanicillium lecanii ''Lecanicillium lecanii'' is now an approved name of an entomopathogenic fungus species, that was previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecanii'' (Zimmerman) Viegas), but is now understood to be an anamorphic form in the ''Cordyceps'' group ...

'' (Zimm.) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of soft scale insects (

Coccidae The Coccidae are a family of scale insects belonging to the superfamily Coccoidea. They are commonly known as soft scales, wax scales or tortoise scales. The females are flat with elongated oval bodies and a smooth integument which may be covere ...

) * ''

Lecanicillium longisporum ''Lecanicillium longisporum'' is the approved name of an entomopathogenic fungus species, that was previously widely known as '' Verticillium lecanii'' (Zimmerman) Viegas, but is now understood to be an anamorphic form in the ''Cordyceps'' group ...

'' (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...

s * ''

Lecanicillium muscarium ''Lecanicillium muscarium'' is the approved name of an entomopathogenic fungus species, that was previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecanii'' (Zimmerman) Viegas), but is now understood to be an anamorphic form in the ''Cordyceps'' group of ...

'' (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of whiteflies and

thrips Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Different thrips species feed mostly on plants by puncturing and sucking up the contents, although a few are ...

* ''

Lecanicillium nodulosum ''Lecanicillium'' is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described. Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as ''Verticillium lecan ...

'' (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * '' Lecanicillium pissodis'' Kope & I. Leal 2006 * '' Lecanicillium psalliotae'' (Treschew) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * '' Lecanicillium saksenae'' (Kushwaha) Kurihara & Sukarno 2009 * '' Lecanicillium tenuipes'' (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001 * '' Lecanicillium wallacei'' (H.C. Evans) H.C. Evans & Zare 2008 At least 15 products based on ''Lecanicillium'' spp. have been, or are in the process of being commercialized as

biological pesticides A Biopesticide is a biological substance or organism that damages, kills, or repels organisms seens as pests. Biological pest management intervention involves predatory, parasitic, or chemical relationships. They are obtained from organisms inclu ...

, against a variety of pests in numerous countries worldwide.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6511476 Biopesticides Sordariomycetes genera Cordycipitaceae Parasitic fungi