Metarhizium

Key takeaways

Metarhizium belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Metarhizium to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Metarhizium from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Metarhizium is a genus of entomopathogenic fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae. With the advent of genetic profiling, placing these fungi in proper taxa has now become possible. Most turn out to be the asexual forms (anamorphs) of fungi in the phylum Ascomycota, including Metacordyceps spp.

Species Before molecular techniques were introduced at the end of the 20th century, Metarhizium species were identified on morphological (notably conidial) characteristics. The 'original' species included: M. anisopliae (with M.a. var. major), M. brunneum, M. cicadinum, M. cylindrosporum, M. flavoviride, M. taii, M. truncatum, and M. viridicolumnare. In 2009, nine former varieties of the type species M. anisopliae were assigned species status. New species have continued to be identified, with original names sometimes re-instated (notably M. brunneum). The first complete chromosome length genome sequence for any Metarhizium was carried out for this species at Swansea University in 2021. The Index Fungorum currently (April 2024) lists:

Other reclassified species names M. glutinosum is now placed in the Stachybotryaceae as Albifimbria (Myrothecium) verrucaria (Alb. & Schwein.) L. Lombard & Crous species now placed in other genera in the Clavicipitaceae include: M. album Petch, 1931 and other names now assigned to M. anisopliae (see synonyms) M. aciculare H. Iwasaki, Tokiwa & Nonaka (2019) is now Keithomyces acicularis M. carneum (Duché & R. Heim) Kepler, S.A. Rehner & Humber (2014) is now Keithomyces carneus M. khaoyaiense (Hywel-Jones) Kepler, S.A. Rehner & Humber (2014) is now Purpureomyces khaoyaiensis M. kusanagiense (Kobayasi & Shimizu) Kepler, S.A. Rehner & Humber (2014) is now Yosiokobayasia kusanagiensis M. marquandii (Massee) Kepler, S.A. Rehner & Humber (2014) is now Marquandomyces marquandii M. martiale (Speg.) Kepler, S.A. Rehner & Humber (2014) is now Nigelia martialis (Speg.) Luangsa-ard & Thanakitp. M. yongmunense (G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung & Spatafora) Kepler, S.A. Rehner & Humber (2014) is now Sungia yongmunensis

Teleomorphs The teleomorphs of Metarhizium species appear to be members of the genus Metacordyceps. Metacordyceps taii (as Cordyceps taii) has been described as the teleomorph of Metarhizium taii: a name that has now been restored. Whether the other varieties of M. anisopliae have their own teleomorphs is not yet clear. Some, if not most, strains of M. anisopliae possibly have lost the capability of reproducing sexually.

Natural pesticide The artificially grown fungi's spores are also used as a natural pesticide. Certain strains are advised against use in food-growing fields and in close proximity to water sources due to risk of their contamination.

Locust control In the 1990s, the LUBILOSA research programme proved that M. acridum in its spore form was effective in killing locusts and other members of the Acrididea families with no deleterious effects found in field trials on any nontarget species except for the domesticated silk worm Bombyx mori. It is currently produced as a biopesticide under the name Novacrid by the company Eléphant Vert in their factory in Meknès, Morocco. In 2019, the same company obtained the licence to produce and market the original product developed by LUBILOSA, which is called Green Muscle. A third product, Green Guard, is produced by BASF of Australia for the control of Australian plague locusts and wingless grasshoppers.

Mosquito control In 2025, scientists developed a genetically engineered strain of the Metarhizium fungus by inserting a longifolene-synthesizing gene from pine trees into its genome to continuously emit the compound longifolene, which is a sweet, woodsy scent that naturally attracts mosquitoes. Prior to the modification, the fungus only emitted longifolene as a secondary infection strategy, after an insect that has randomly encountered its spores dies. The fungus can be grown on inexpensive materials, such as rice or wheat and then placed in specially designed traps. The fungal spores were lethal to 90–100% of mosquitoes in laboratory trials.

Notes

References

Further reading Senthil Kumar, C.M.; Jacob, T.K.; Devasahayam, S.; Rajeshkumar, Kunhiraman C.; Lad, Sneha S.; D'Silva, Sharon; Geethu, C. (June 2023). "Metarhizium indicum, a new species of entomopathogenic fungus infecting leafhopper, Busoniomimus manjunathi from India". Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 198 107919. Bibcode:2023JInvP.19807919S. doi:10.1016/j.jip.2023.107919. PMID 37004918.

External links Media related to Metarhizium at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Clavicipitaceae at Wikispecies

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Metarhizium

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Metarhizium claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Metarhizium before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Metarhizium ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Metarhizium

In research: Metarhizium appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Metarhizium in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Metarhizium is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Clavicipitaceae, Parasitic fungi, Sordariomycetes genera, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Metarhizium outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Metarhizium in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Metarhizium means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Metarhizium out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Metarhizium in simple terms?

Metarhizium is a genus of entomopathogenic fungi in the family Clavicipitaceae. With the advent of genetic profiling, placing these fungi in proper taxa has now become possible.

Why does Metarhizium matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Metarhizium?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Metarhizium.