The Fungal Spore: Myrmecophilous Ophiocordyceps as a Case Study

João P.M. Araújo, David P. Hughes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

The insects, with over 900,000 described species, represent the most speciose group of animals (Grimaldi and Engel 2005). From the outset of their considerable evolutionary history, which began during the Devonian period (ca. 400 million years ago), the insects have evolved a wide diversity of morphological and ecological adaptations, reaching an incredibly broad range of environments. One of the most important characteristics of the insects is their multilayered, chitin-protein, exoskeleton that is considered to have been a central development in the evolution of insects (Wigglesworth 1957). Although the exoskeleton provides protection against many predators and pathogens, there is an ecological group of organisms that successfully developed strategies to break through the cuticle and reach the hemocoel. Those are the entomopathogenic fungi.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationThe Fungal Community
Subtitle of host publicationIts Organization and Role in the Ecosystem, Fourth Edition
PublisherCRC Press
Pages359-367
Number of pages9
ISBN (Electronic)9781498706674
ISBN (Print)9781498706650
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Environmental Science
  • General Immunology and Microbiology

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