2025
Overview
Entomopathogenic fungi are fungi that infect and kill insects and other arthropods, acting as natural agents of insect mortality. They typically attack a host by attaching to its cuticle, germinating, and penetrating the body wall, after which the fungus proliferates internally and ultimately causes death, often producing spores that spread to new hosts. In natural ecosystems these fungi help regulate insect populations, and because of this they are of considerable interest in agriculture as biological control agents within integrated pest management programs, offering an alternative or complement to chemical insecticides for protecting crops and stored products. Their use can reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides and the associated risks of resistance and environmental harm, though their effectiveness depends on factors such as host range, formulation, and environmental conditions. Research published through Fungal Diversity and its companion titles engages with applied entomology and biocontrol, including a study evaluating the efficacy of a neem-based product and a fungal biocontrol formulation on the abundance and distribution of arthropod pests in soil and in hydroponically grown strawberry. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access scholarship relevant to entomopathogenic fungi and their role in the biological control of insect pests.
Research published in this journal
1 peer-reviewed article, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.