Metarhizium majus

Metarhizium majus is the name given to a group of fungal isolates that are known to be virulent against Scarabaeidae, a family of beetles. Previously, this species has had variety status in Metarhizium anisopliae (var. majus) and its name is derived from characteristically very large spores (typically 2.5–4 μm x 10–14 μm long) for the genus Metarhizium. There has been considerable interest in developing isolates of this species into mycoinsecticides: especially against the coconut and oil palm beetle pest Oryctes in SE Asia, the Pacific region and Africa.

It is an anamorph, a suggested teleomorph was Cordyceps brittlebankisoides.

Important isolates

 * The epitype is isolate ARSEF 1914: derived from a dried US National Fungus Collection culture (BPI 878297)[1].