Despite their importance, comprehensive information on entomopathogenic fungi—particularly their host range and geographic distribution—has been scattered across hundreds of scientific papers and herbarium records. To address this gap, researchers led by De Wint et al. (2024) have developed EntomoFun 1.0, an open-access global database that compiles detailed records of fungi and their insect hosts. The database contains nearly 1,800 entries, offering insights into which fungi infect which insect species, where they occur, and which insect life stages are affected.
Understanding Entomopathogenic Fungi
Entomopathogenic fungi are a diverse group, but they share a common strategy: they infect insects through spores that attach to the exoskeleton, penetrate the body, and grow internally. Eventually, the fungus kills its host and, under favorable conditions, produces new spores to continue the cycle.
One well-documented example is Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, often called the "zombie-ant fungus." This species manipulates infected ants into climbing vegetation before they die, ensuring the fungus can release spores from an elevated position. However, entomopathogenic fungi infect a wide range of insects, including beetles, moths, flies, and grasshoppers, making them an important factor in insect population dynamics.
Why This Database Is Important
1. Insights into Ecosystem Dynamics
Insects play a crucial role in food webs, and entomopathogenic fungi contribute to regulating their populations. By compiling global data on fungus-host relationships, scientists can better understand how these fungi fit into broader ecological systems and how environmental changes might affect their interactions. Both host ranges and geographical distribution ranges are important here.
2. A Step Toward Sustainable Pest Control
Chemical pesticides are widely used in agriculture but come with drawbacks, including environmental harm and the development of pesticide-resistant pests. Since entomopathogenic fungi naturally infect insects, and are often highly specific to particular insect species, some species are already used as biological control agents. Understanding their distribution and host specificity can help identify potential candidates for more sustainable pest management.
3. Identifying Knowledge Gaps
The research team found that while entomopathogenic fungi have been well-documented in some regions, others—such as parts of Africa and Asia—remain underrepresented. By highlighting these gaps, the database can help guide future research efforts and encourage further documentation.
Building EntomoFun 1.0
The database was created by analyzing over 600 scientific sources, including journal articles and herbarium records. It focuses on fungi from the Hypocreales order, a highly diverse group known for its entomopathogenic species. The majority of species considered belong to the fungal genera Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps. It took much effort to check 2000+ publications in search for observations, although the result was worth it. Drawings in Figure 4 were made by Soun Nicholson.
Some key findings on the database includes:
- Host range can now be addressed for all species considered, whilst ranges were only known for a small number of species before. Some fungi display a broad host range, infecting multiple insect species (and even life stages), while others are highly specialized, targeting only a single species.
- Geographic distributions of those species are available, and can be consulted individually through this interactive map: https://srbdts.github.io/entomofun.html
- The distribution of entomopathogenic fungi is unevenly studied, with some regions and insect groups receiving far more attention than others.
EntomoFun 1.0 follows open-data principles, meaning that researchers worldwide can access, use, and expand upon the information.
Future Directions
The research team envisions further expanding the database by incorporating newly published literature as well as new field observations and contributions from citizen science platforms like iNaturalist. Future versions may also include data on a broader range of insect and fungus groups. Additionally, as climate change and human activity alter ecosystems, tracking shifts in distribution and host interactions of entomopathogenic fungi could provide valuable insights for both conservation and agriculture.
Conclusion
EntomoFun 1.0 is an important step in centralizing knowledge about entomopathogenic fungi and their interactions with insect hosts. By making this data openly available, the researchers hope to support further studies on entomopathogenic fungus ecology, pest control applications, and biodiversity conservation. For those interested, the full database is accessible here: EntomoFun 1.0. This resource not only offers a clearer picture of these fascinating fungi but also provides a foundation for future discoveries.