''Zoophthora'' is a genus of
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 ...
in the 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 ...
. Like other taxa in this family, ''Zoophthora'' species cause disease in insects and as such are considered
entomopathogenic fungi
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 ...
.
Like most entomopathogenic fungal taxa, ''Zoophthora'' has been studied largely in the context of biological control of insect pest species.
However, recent research indicates that many fungal taxa that have historically been considered entomopathogenic (e.g., ''Zoophthora'') may serve diverse ecological roles as free-living members of the
rhizosphere
The rhizosphere is the narrow region of soil or substrate that is directly influenced by root secretions and associated soil microorganisms known as the root microbiome. Soil pores in the rhizosphere can contain many bacteria and other microo ...
, as
endophytes
An endophyte is an endosymbiont, often a bacterium or fungus, that lives within a plant for at least part of its life cycle without causing apparent disease. Endophytes are ubiquitous and have been found in all species of plants studied to date; h ...
of plant tissue, and as
saprobes.
History
The genus ''Zoophthora'' was first formally described by Batko in 1964; however, in 1966 Batko divided ''Zoophthora'' into four sub-genera. In 1989 Humber promoted Batko's four sub-genera to a single genus: ''Zoophthora''.
Recent systematic research has yielded support for the monophyly of ''Zoophthora'', as well as its distinctness at the generic level.
Life cycle
''Zoophthora'' species parasitize insects, using their host's body as a source of nutrition and as a site for reproduction.
In order to infect a potential insect host, fungal tissue (generally as