Lecanicillium
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Short description|Genus of fungi}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image =Lecanicillium cauligalbarum (10.3897-mycokeys.43.30203) Figure 3.jpg
| image_caption =Lecanicillium cauligalbarum. a Synnemata emerged from the corpse of a stemborer (Lepidoptera) b Culture plate, showing the front (upper) and the back (lower) of the colony, cultured on PDA medium c–e Phialides solitary or in 2–3 whorls f–g Conidia. Scale bars: 10 mm (b, c, e), 5 μm (d, f, g)
| taxon = Lecanicillium
| authority = W.Gams & Zare (2001)
| type_species = Lecanicillium lecanii
| type_species_authority = (Zimm.) Zare & W.Gams (2001)
}}
Lecanicillium is a genus of fungi in the order Hypocreales and is described as anamorphic Cordycipitaceae; 21 species are currently described.{{cite book |vauthors=Kirk PM, Cannon PF, Minter DW, Stalpers JA |title=Dictionary of the Fungi |edition=10th |publisher=CABI |location=Wallingford |year=2008|page=150 |isbn=978-0-85199-826-8}} Some of these entomopathogenic fungus species were previously widely known as Verticillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viegas.{{cite journal |vauthors=Zare R, Gams W |title=A revision of Verticillium sect. Prostrata. III. Generic classification |journal=Nova Hedwigia |volume=72 |issue=3–4 |pages=329–337 |year=2001 |doi=10.1127/nova.hedwigia/72/2001/329 |url=http://www.schweizerbart.de/papers/nova_hedwigia/detail/72/82725}} This genus was first named and introduced by Rasoul Zare (IRIPP) and Walter Gams (CBS).
Species
The IndexFungorum records the following species:
- Lecanicillium acerosum W. Gams, H.C. Evans & Zare 2001
- Lecanicillium antillanum (R.F. Castañeda & G.R.W. Arnold) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium aphanocladii Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium aranearum (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium araneicola Sukarno & Kurihara 2009
- Lecanicillium attenuatum Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium dimorphum (J.D. Chen) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium evansii Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium flavidum (W. Gams & Zaayen) W. Gams & Zare 2008
- Lecanicillium fungicola (Preuss) Zare & W. Gams 2008; Anamorphic Cordycipitaceae
- Lecanicillium fungicola var. aleophilum (W. Gams & Zaayen) W. Gams & Zare 2008
- Lecanicillium fungicola var. fungicola (Preuss) Zare & W. Gams 2008
- Lecanicillium fusisporum (W. Gams) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium kalimantanense Kurihara & Sukarno 2009
- Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimm.) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of soft scale insects (Coccidae)
- Lecanicillium longisporum (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of aphids
- Lecanicillium muscarium (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001: pathogens of whiteflies and thrips
- Lecanicillium nodulosum (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium pissodis Kope & I. Leal 2006
- Lecanicillium psalliotae (Treschew) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium saksenae (Kushwaha) Kurihara & Sukarno 2009
- Lecanicillium tenuipes (Petch) Zare & W. Gams 2001
- Lecanicillium wallacei (H.C. Evans) H.C. Evans & Zare 2008
At least 15 products based on Lecanicillium spp. have been, or are in the process of being commercialized as biological pesticides, against a variety of pests in numerous countries worldwide.{{cite journal |first1=M.R. |last1=de Faria |last2=Wraight |first2=S.P. |title=Mycoinsecticides and mycoacaricides: a comprehensive list with worldwide coverage and international classification of formulation types |journal=Biological Control |volume=43 |issue=3 |pages=237–256 |year=2007 |doi=10.1016/j.biocontrol.2007.08.001 |bibcode=2007BiolC..43..237F }}