Metarhizium acridum

Metarhizium acridum
Red locust with sporulating standard isolate of M. acridum
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Sordariomycetes
Order: Hypocreales
Family: Clavicipitaceae
Genus: Metarhizium
Species:
M. acridum
Binomial name
Metarhizium acridum
(Driver & Milner) J.F. Bisch., Rehner & Humber (2009)
Synonyms

Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum Driver & Milner

Metarhizium acridum is the new name given to a group of fungal isolates that are known to be virulent and specific to the Acrididea (grasshoppers). Previously, this species has had variety status in Metarhizium anisopliae (var. acridum); before that, reference had been made to M. flavoviride or Metarhizium sp. describing an "apparently homologous and distinctive group" of isolates that were most virulent against Schistocerca gregaria (desert locust) in early screening bioassays.