Massospora Explained

Massospora is a genus of fungi in the Entomophthoraceae family, within the order Entomophthorales of the Zygomycota.^{[1] [2] [3]} This has been supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis (Gryganskyi et al. 2012).^[4]

It includes more than a dozen obligate, sexually transmissible pathogenic species that infect (and kill) adult gregarious cicadas (Hemiptera) worldwide. At least two species are known to produce psychoactive compounds during infection:^{[5] [6]} M. cicadina is known to produce cathinone; M. platypediae or M. levispora produces psilocybin.^[7]

Named in 1879 by the American botanist Charles Horton Peck (1833–1917).

The genus name of Massospora was derived from two words in the Greek, masso which means 'to grind' and spora for 'spore'.This then describes the complete disintegration of the host-insect's internal tissues eventually leading to a (described by the author as), "pulverulent mass of spores within" that can be seen after the terminal parts of the abdomen fall off.

Species

As accepted by Species Fungorum:^[8]

• Massospora carinetae
• Massospora cicadettae
• Massospora cicadina
• Massospora diceroproctae
• Massospora diminuta
• Massospora dorisianae
• Massospora fidicinae
• Massospora levispora
• Massospora ocypetes
• Massospora pahariae
• Massospora platypediae
• Massospora spinosa
• Massospora tettigatis

Former species:^[8]

• M. agrotidis = Sorosporella agrotidis, Hypocreales family
• M. cleoni = Entomophthora cleoni, Entomophthoraceae
• M. richteri = Entomophthora richteri, Entomophthoraceae
• M. staritzii = Entomophthora staritzii, Entomophthoraceae
• M. tipulae = Zoophthora porteri, Entomophthoraceae
• M. uvella = Sorosporella uvella, Hypocreales

Notes and References

1. Web site: Massospora Peck . 2021-01-05 . GBIF.
2. Web site: Taxonomy browser (Massospora) . 2021-01-05 . National Center for Biotechnology Information.
3. Carolyn . Elya . Henrik H. . De Fine Licht . The genus Entomophthora: bringing the insect destroyers into the twenty-first century & . IMA Fungus . 12 November 2021 . 12 . 34. 34 . 10.1186/s43008-021-00084-w . 34763728 . 8588673 . free .
4. Gryganskyi AP, Humber RA, Smith ME et al (2012) Molecular phylogeny of the Entomophthoromycota. Mol Phylogenet Evol 65:682–694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2012.07.026
5. Macias . Angie M. . Evolutionary relationships among Massospora spp. (Entomophthorales), obligate pathogens of cicadas . Mycologia . May 2020 . 112 . 6 . 1060–1074 . 10.1080/00275514.2020.1742033. 32412847 . 218659452 .
6. Cooley . John R. . Marshall . David C. . Hill . Kathy B. R. . 2018-01-23 . A specialized fungal parasite (Massospora cicadina) hijacks the sexual signals of periodical cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Magicicada) . Scientific Reports . 8 . 1 . 1432 . 10.1038/s41598-018-19813-0 . 5780379 . 29362478 . 2018NatSR...8.1432C .
7. Boyce . Greg R. . Gluck-Thaler . Emile . Slot . Jason C. . Stajich . Jason E. . Davis . William J. . James . Tim Y. . Cooley . John R. . Panaccione . Daniel G. . Eilenberg . Jørgen . De Fine Licht . Henrik H. . Macias . Angie M. . Berger . Matthew C. . Wickert . Kristen L. . Stauder . Cameron M. . Spahr . Ellie J. . Maust . Matthew D. . Metheny . Amy M. . Simon . Chris . Kritsky . Gene . Hodge . Kathie T. . Humber . Richard A. . Gullion . Terry . Short . Dylan P.G. . Kijimoto . Teiya . Mozgai . Dan . Arguedas . Nidia . Kasson . Matt T. . Psychoactive plant- and mushroom-associated alkaloids from two behavior modifying cicada pathogens . Fungal Ecology . October 2019 . 41 . 147–164 . 10.1016/j.funeco.2019.06.002 . 10.1101/375105 .
8. Web site: Massospora - Search Page . www.speciesfungorum.org . Species Fungorum . 28 December 2022.