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Introducing a global database of entomopathogenic fungi and their host associations

Summary

Scientists have created a comprehensive online database called EntomoFun 1.0 that catalogs nearly 1,800 documented cases of fungi that infect insects worldwide. This database brings together information scattered across hundreds of scientific papers and museum collections, showing which fungal species infect which insects and where these interactions occur geographically. This tool will help researchers understand how these fungal pathogens affect insect populations and ecosystems, and may eventually lead to better pest management strategies.

Background

Entomopathogenic fungi (EF) are understudied pathogens that infect insects and arthropods globally and play important ecological roles in regulating species populations and maintaining biodiversity. Despite their ecological significance, comprehensive data on EF host specificity and geographical distribution are lacking. This information gap hampers understanding of EF ecology and their potential impacts on ecosystems.

Objective

To present EntomoFun 1.0, an open-access database centralizing global records of entomopathogenic fungi-insect associations within the order Hypocreales. The database aims to test hypotheses about EF host ranges, identify knowledge gaps in geographical distribution, and stimulate future research on these important fungal pathogens.

Results

EntomoFun 1.0 contains 1,791 validated records documenting associations between 371 EF species and their insect hosts across multiple countries, with information on host life stages and geographical distributions. The majority of records belong to fungal genera Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps. The database includes visualizations showing global species richness, host range distributions, and bipartite networks of EF-host interactions.

Conclusion

EntomoFun 1.0 provides researchers with a centralized, openly accessible repository of EF-host associations formatted for ecological analysis and hypothesis testing. The database identifies significant geographical and taxonomic knowledge gaps that should guide future field research and studies on entomopathogenic fungi.
  • Published in:Scientific Data,
  • Study Type:Database Development,
  • Source: 10.1038/s41597-024-04103-4
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