Cordyceps gunnii
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cordyceps gunnii | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Fungi |
| Division: | Ascomycota |
| Class: | Sordariomycetes |
| Order: | Hypocreales |
| Family: | Cordycipitaceae |
| Genus: | Cordyceps |
| Species: | C. gunnii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cordyceps gunnii (Berk.) Berk. | |
| Synonyms | |
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Cordyceps gunnii is a species of fungus in the family Cordycipitaceae, and is of the genus Cordyceps. It was originally found and recorded by Gunn in Tasmania and named as Sphaeria gunnii, before later research confirmed it belonged to the Cordyceps genus and was renamed Cordyceps gunnii.[1] This fungus and its sisters in the genus Cordyceps are known for growing out of insect bodies. C. gunnii can be found at ground level poking out of caterpillar burrows, attached to a caterpillar's head.
Macroscopic features
This fungus is a perithecial ascomycete. It forms a stroma whose stipe is white-gray colored, between 36.6 and 52.3 mm long and 4.8 to 8.6 mm wide. The ascogenous piece of the stromata is gray colored and 18.5–19.3 mm long and 4 – 9.4 mm wide.[1] C. gunnii can be distinguished from C. sinensis, a very similar species, by having a stouter stroma than C. sinensis’ slender and cylindrical stoma.[2] It is more blandly colored than other representatives in its family who tend to be more brightly colored than C. gunnii.[3]
Microscopic features
The fungus’ perithecia are embedded into the stroma with papillate openings on surface. Asci are cylindrical with 8 ascospores. The ascospores are filiform, hyaline, multiseptated, breaking into cylindrical and short, 1-celled secondary ascospores.[1]
Ecology
C. gunnii is most commonly found growing out of the heads of moth larvae; specifically, it targets the Hepialidae family, a group known as the ghost moths.[4][5] One such documented host is the larvae of Phassus excresens.[1] The larva will burrow underground when infected with the fungus, which will grow from the head of the caterpillar up out of the burrow and expose itself to the air where it can release spores.
