Entomophaga (fungus)

Entomophaga is a genus of entomopathogenic fungi in the Entomophthoraceae family and also the order Entomophthorales. This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012).

Well-known species are Entomophaga grylli and Entomophaga maimaiga, which can infect grasshoppers and gypsy moths respectively.

The genus name of Entomophaga was derived from combining two words in the Greek: entomon meaning insect and phaga meaning to eat. The genus was created in 1964 by the Polish mycologist Andrzej Batko (1933 - 1997). He wrote “... to commemorate the international journal Entomophaga devoted to problems of biological control of insect pests.” The journal later ceased publication in 1998 and was replaced by BioControl.