dusts insects with white spore powder
- Size
- Microscopic.
- Lifespan
- Unknown
- Diet
- Parasitic, infecting and consuming various insects to regulate populations in diverse habitats.
- Habitat
- In soil and on insects in diverse habitats with high humidity and sheltered microclimates.
- Range
- Found in soils and on insects throughout New Zealand, wherever moisture levels allow.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- Sensitive to UV radiation and dry conditions; otherwise stable and widespread in ecosystems.
- Population
- Widespread and common in soils and insect populations throughout New Zealand.
- Conservation Status
- Not Threatened
- Human Risk
- caution
- Handling Note
- inedible; do not ingest
- Conservation Note
- Native fungus; entomopathogen not subject to conservation assessment.
- Te Ao Māori
- Māori names for specific entomopathogenic fungi are not recorded in standard dictionaries. In a kaitiakitanga framework, these fungi represent the hidden balances of the ecosystem. Their parasitic nature signals the interconnectedness of life and death. Protecting them means preserving the integrity of the soil and insect communities and the unseen processes that sustain them. The white is not purity. It is predation.
First described in Italy in 1835, this fungus was named after the entomologist Agostino Bassi. It is not a plant. It is not an animal. It is a silent hunter, drifting through the air as microscopic spores. When a spore lands on an insect, it germinates. It penetrates the exoskeleton, growing inside the host. The insect dies, but its body remains intact, covered in a white, powdery coating of fungal spores. This is not decay. It is reproduction. The fungus uses the insect as a factory, producing millions of new spores to infect others.
Threats are minimal. The species is widespread and common. In fact, it is often encouraged in agricultural systems as a biological control agent. It targets pests such as aphids, whiteflies, and beetles, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. However, it is sensitive to environmental conditions. High humidity favours its growth, while dry conditions suppress it. UV radiation can kill spores on exposed surfaces. It thrives in the sheltered microclimates of the forest floor and the dense foliage of crops.
The NZ Entomopathogen is found throughout New Zealand, wherever insects and suitable moisture levels exist. It is not picky about its host, infecting a wide range of arthropods. Its presence is a sign of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Where it grows, the balance between predator and prey is maintained. It is an indicator species, a biological signal that the soil is alive with activity.
This fungus feeds on living tissue, specifically the bodies of insects. In doing so, it regulates insect populations. It is a natural check on abundance. Without it, pest numbers might surge, affecting the plants they feed on. The fungus is specific in its method, but general in its target. It does not attack humans. It does not attack vertebrates. It is a specialist in the art of infiltration.
The white powder that covers the dead insect is the fruiting body. It is not a mushroom. It is a mass of conidiophores, structures that produce and release spores. These spores are carried by the wind to new hosts, starting the cycle anew. The fungus does not rush. It waits for the right host, the right conditions. It carries on.