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Ophiocordyceps
Ophiocordyceps is a genus of fungi within the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. The widespread genus, first described scientifically by British mycologist Tom Petch in 1931, contains about 140 species that grow on insects. Anamorphic genera that correspond with Ophiocordyceps species are Hirsutella, Hymenostilbe, Isaria, Paraisaria, and Syngliocladium.
One species complex, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, is known for its parasitism on ants, in which it alters the behavior of the ants in such a way as to propagate itself more effectively. The parasite starts on the ground and comes in contact with an ant, killing it and then growing its fruiting bodies from the ant's head and releasing its spores.
60 branches of this genus, most-observed first
Zombie-Ant Fungi
complexOphiocordyceps unilateralis
Ophiocordyceps humbertii
complexOphiocordyceps humbertii
Ophiocordyceps australis
complexOphiocordyceps australis
Ophiocordyceps variabilis
speciesOphiocordyceps variabilis
Ophiocordyceps dipterigena
complexOphiocordyceps dipterigena
Vegetable caterpillar
speciesOphiocordyceps robertsii
Ophiocordyceps stylophora
speciesOphiocordyceps stylophora
Ophiocordyceps nutans
speciesOphiocordyceps nutans
Ophiocordyceps melolonthae
speciesOphiocordyceps melolonthae
Ophiocordyceps sphecocephala
speciesOphiocordyceps sphecocephala
Bug Sputnik
speciesOphiocordyceps clavulata
Ophiocordyceps smithii
speciesOphiocordyceps smithii
Ophiocordyceps lloydii
speciesOphiocordyceps lloydii
Ophiocordyceps entomorrhiza
speciesOphiocordyceps entomorrhiza
Ophiocordyceps sobolifera
speciesOphiocordyceps sobolifera
Ophiocordyceps ravenelii
speciesOphiocordyceps ravenelii
Chinese Caterpillar Fungus
speciesOphiocordyceps sinensis
Ophiocordyceps ponerinarum
speciesOphiocordyceps ponerinarum
Ophiocordyceps odonatae
speciesOphiocordyceps odonatae
Ophiocordyceps myrmecophila
complexOphiocordyceps myrmecophila
Ophiocordyceps engleriana
speciesOphiocordyceps engleriana
Ophiocordyceps binata
speciesOphiocordyceps binata
Ophiocordyceps kniphofioides
speciesOphiocordyceps kniphofioides
Ophiocordyceps neonutans
speciesOphiocordyceps neonutans
Ophiocordyceps pseudolloydii
speciesOphiocordyceps pseudolloydii
Ophiocordyceps jiangxiensis
speciesOphiocordyceps jiangxiensis
Ophiocordyceps purpureostromata
speciesOphiocordyceps purpureostromata
Ophiocordyceps ferruginosa
speciesOphiocordyceps ferruginosa
Ophiocordyceps formicarum
speciesOphiocordyceps formicarum
Ophiocordyceps sp. 'stylophora-IN01'
speciesOphiocordyceps sp. 'stylophora-IN01'
Ophiocordyceps araracuarensis
speciesOphiocordyceps araracuarensis
Ophiocordyceps nooreniae
speciesOphiocordyceps nooreniae
Ophiocordyceps crinalis
speciesOphiocordyceps crinalis
Ophiocordyceps neovolkiana
speciesOphiocordyceps neovolkiana
Ophiocordyceps rubiginosiperitheciata
speciesOphiocordyceps rubiginosiperitheciata
Ophiocordyceps glaziovii
speciesOphiocordyceps glaziovii
Ophiocordyceps tricentri
speciesOphiocordyceps tricentri
Ophiocordyceps ditmarii
speciesOphiocordyceps ditmarii
Ophiocordyceps sp. 'OH01'
speciesOphiocordyceps sp. 'OH01'
Ophiocordyceps annulata
speciesOphiocordyceps annulata
Ophiocordyceps clavata
speciesOphiocordyceps clavata
Ophiocordyceps superficialis
speciesOphiocordyceps superficialis
Ophiocordyceps longissima
speciesOphiocordyceps longissima
Ophiocordyceps asiana
speciesOphiocordyceps asiana
Ophiocordyceps pseudolongissima
speciesOphiocordyceps pseudolongissima
Ophiocordyceps sp. 'IN01'
speciesOphiocordyceps sp. 'IN01'
Ophiocordyceps yakusimensis
speciesOphiocordyceps yakusimensis
Ophiocordyceps fulgoromorphila
speciesOphiocordyceps fulgoromorphila
Ophiocordyceps elongatistromata
speciesOphiocordyceps elongatistromata
Ophiocordyceps monacidis
speciesOphiocordyceps monacidis
Ophiocordyceps uchiyamae
speciesOphiocordyceps uchiyamae
Ophiocordyceps sp. 'myrmecophila-PNW02'
speciesOphiocordyceps sp. 'myrmecophila-PNW02'
Ophiocordyceps sp. 'CA03'
speciesOphiocordyceps sp. 'CA03'
Ophiocordyceps salganeicola
speciesOphiocordyceps salganeicola
Ophiocordyceps agriotis
speciesOphiocordyceps agriotis
Ophiocordyceps sp. 'kimflemingiae-IN01'
speciesOphiocordyceps sp. 'kimflemingiae-IN01'
Ophiocordyceps michiganensis
speciesOphiocordyceps michiganensis
Ophiocordyceps pruinosa
speciesOphiocordyceps pruinosa
Ophiocordyceps sporangifera
speciesOphiocordyceps sporangifera
Ophiocordyceps myrmicarum
speciesOphiocordyceps myrmicarum
Where it lives
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the old herbals & bestiaries
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Ophiocordyceps in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 179205.