Isaria fungi attack on Moringa hairy caterpillar - Insect pests

Isaria is a genus of fungi mostly in the order Hypocreales and family Clavicipitaceae, or by some authorities the Cordycipitaceae. When a conidium or blastospore of Isaria lands on a suitable host, it is producing enzymes to penetrate the insect's cuticle. A germ tube is then growing into the haemocoel, and the fungus is proliferating inside the insect’s body. The fungus can also enter through the spiracles, the mouth, or the anal opening. The mycelia are spreading in the haemolymph and tissues, eventually emerging from the insect and producing conidia. Mortality of the insect is ascribed to the drainage of its nutrients, the destruction of its tissues, and the release of toxins. A Eupterote mollifera or Moringa hairy caterpillar is dying white after being infected by the Isaria fungi on Moringa or drumstick tree (Moringa oleifera) trunks in Tehatta, West Bengal, India, on October 29, 2024. (Footage by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)