Carnivorous mushrooms + the beetle invasion

Digestion network 🕸 Mushrooms secrete enzymes that break down organic material while taking in nutrients. Fungal hyphae function as a network to digest and absorb nutrients from the surrounding environment.

It’s tough out there 🌋 Carnivorous fungi evolved to adapt to nutrient-poor environments. For example, fungi need nitrogen to produce proteins and survive. When there’s not enough nitrogen in the soil, fungi start to capture other organisms for their nutrients. This way, the fungi can thrive in otherwise inhospitable conditions. 

How do they “hunt”? ⚔ Carnivorous fungi still use their hyphae, but instead of seeking decaying organic matter, these fungi wrap their hyphae around live prey and penetrate the victim to inject enzymes that break down the meal.

From inside out 🤢 Endoparasitism is when a fungus creates spores that infect a host organism through ingestion or bodily contact. The spores germinate within the body and develop hyphae, which spread throughout the host while consuming its internal tissues. The fungi keep the host alive long enough to produce more spores and restart the cycle.

Types of carnivorous fungi 🔎 There are over 200 carnivorous fungi species! Cordyceps militaris mushrooms are known parasitic predators for caterpillars, ants, spiders, and locusts. Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) are a popular gourmet choice for many shroomers. While they typically thrive on decaying wood, oyster mushrooms won’t turn down a nematode…

Faster muscle recovery ⌚ Inflammation is a common response to muscle damage. The natural anti-inflammatory properties of cordyceps can help reduce damage, leading to quicker recovery and less soreness.

New research 👩‍🔬 A double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study found that people treated with cordyceps before exercise had significantly faster healing times than the control group.

How does it work? 🤔 Cordyceps sinensis increases the activity and quantity of stem cells. These stem cells are responsible for muscle repair and regeneration.

Not just speed 🏃‍♀️ Researchers also discovered that cordyceps strengthened the structural integrity of the muscle fibers, thereby helping protect the muscles against future stress or injury.

Optimization 🔥 While this recent study’s findings are preliminary, the evidence is stacking up about cordyceps’ beneficial properties for workout recovery. Future targeted studies could help us find how to optimize cordyceps dosage and timing for the best effect on workout recovery.

Worldwide tour 🌎 In 2016, the species was reported in Colombia for the first time. Today, it threatens over 115,000 hectares of land used for eucalyptus production.

Biopesticides 🐜 Fungi are a tremendous, sustainable means of pest control. A fungus species called Anaphes has been used to combat eucalyptus snout beetles in various parts of the world. However, this method isn’t available in Colombia, which makes dealing with this invasive species tricky.

DNA analysis 🧬 Researchers analyzed the DNA of the eucalyptus snout beetles found in Colombia and isolated the fungi that naturally infected the pests. These fungi were then tested for their effectiveness and durability as mass-produced biopesticides.

Biopesticide benefits 👨‍🌾 Fungi from the Beauveria and Metarhizium genera were highly effective in killing the weevils with minimal environmental effect. The fungi were target-specific and didn’t harm any other species besides the intended beetles.

The big picture 🖼 Researchers hope the fungi can be used as a targeted method of controlling the beetles in Colombia. As an alternative to traditional pesticides, biopesticides are a potential long-term solution for sustainable pest control in agriculture.

👉 Meet the beetles here.