CORDYCEPS FUNGI AND INSECTS

Question 1

What is Cordyceps Fungi?

Answer 1

• a genus of parasitic fungi that primarily infect insects and other arthropods
• It manipulates the host’s behavior to facilitate its own growth, ultimately killing the host before emerging to release spores

Question 2

How Does it Affect Insects?

Answer 2

• Enzymes are released by the fungus, these break down an insect’s exoskeleton
• More enzymes are released and these interfere with the host’s nervous system
• The fungus later grows and uses the host’s nutrients to grow and reproduce.

Question 3

how does it affect insects - Mind Control

Answer 3

Cordyceps manipulates the host’s behavior by affecting its nervous system, compelling it to climb to an elevated position.

Question 4

how does it affect insects - Reproduction Phase

Answer 4

A specialized structure, the fruiting body, emerges from the host, releasing spores for the next phase of infection.

Question 5

Ecological Consequences: population level - Population Regulation

Answer 5

• Cordyceps infections can regulate insect populations by causing mortality in infected individuals.
• If conditions are favorable for Cordyceps, it could lead to localized declines in specific insect populations

Question 6

Ecological Consequences: population level - Distribution Patterns

Answer 6

Cordyceps may influence the distribution of infected insects.

Question 7

Ecological Consequences: community level - predators

Answer 7

• Predators that rely on infected insects as a food source may experience fluctuations in prey availability
• Behavioral changes in infected insects, such as climbing to elevated positions, may make them more visible and accessible to certain predators

Question 8

Ecological Consequences: community level - Competitors

Answer 8

• Changes in insect population sizes can indirectly affect competitors through alterations in resource availability
• If a competitor relies on the same resources as the infected insect, a decline in the infected population could influence the competitor’s abundance.

Question 9

Ecological Consequences: community level - Symbiotic Relationships

Answer 9

Symbiotic relationships involving insects may be disrupted if one partner is affected by Cordyceps

Question 10

Large-Scale Ecological Consequences - Cascading Effects on Food Webs

Answer 10

• The decline or altered distribution of insect populations due to Cordyceps infections can have cascading effects on higher trophic levels
• Changes in insect abundance can impact the organisms that depend on them for food, potentially leading to fluctuations in predator populations

Question 11

Large-Scale Ecological Consequences - Ecosystem Stability

Answer 11

• Cordyceps infections contribute to the natural dynamics of ecosystems, playing a role in population regulation
• While these infections can cause localized disruptions, they may also contribute to overall ecosystem stability by preventing unchecked population growth of certain insect species.

Question 12

explain the evolutionary trends

Answer 12

• insect-infection has evolved multiple times in fungi
• Usually involves the ability to digest chitin (cuticle).
• plant-sucking hemipteran often infected

Question 13

explain the evolutionary trends - why are plant sucking hemiptera most infected

Answer 13

Perhaps because they stuck on substrate for long periods of time