Lecanicillium longisporum
Lecanicillium longisporum is the approved name of an entomopathogenic fungus species, that was previously widely known as Verticillium lecanii Viegas, but is now understood to be an anamorphic form in the Cordyceps group of genera in the Cordycipitaceae. It now appears that isolates formerly classified as V. lecanii could be L. attenuatum, L. lecanii, L. longisporum, L. muscarium or L. nodulosum.
"V. lecanii" was first described in 1861 and has a worldwide distribution. Insects are infected when they come into contact with the sticky fungal spores which then grow and invade the body, thus the internal organs are consumed, leading to their death. In horticulture and agriculture, the Lecanicillium ''longisporum'' Isolate was first isolated and developed by scientists, Drs R.A.Hall and H.D.Burges at the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute.