Abstract
Ophiocordyceps sinensis (≡ Cordyceps sinensis) is one of the most valued medicinal fungi in China, used for its invigorating effects in strengthening the body and restoring energy. The fungus parasitizes larvae of moths and converts them into sclerotia from which the fungus fruiting body grows. Since the late 1950s, considerable effort has been devoted to the study of host insects related to the fungus. In the present paper, the research history of insect species associated with Ophiocordyceps sinensis is briefly reviewed and an extensive literature survey is presented. Ninety-one insect names, spanning 13 genera, related to host insects of Ophiocordyceps sinensis are investigated. The relationships between the reported insect species and Ophiocordyceps sinensis are analyzed. Fifty-seven of these are considered as recognizable potential host species of the fungus distributed throughout the Tibetan Plateau, whilst eight are considered as indeterminate hosts and 26 as non-hosts. Among the names of recognizable potential host insects, three are invalid (nomen nudum) and require further study. This work provides basic information for management of the insect resources and for the conservation and sustainable use of Ophiocordyceps sinensis.
Highlights
Taxa which met both of the following requirements were considered as recognizable potential insect host species of O. sinensis: (1) The distribution areas of the insect overlapped that of O. sinensis, which was determined on the basis of field collections made by this research group during the years 2000−2010, examination of herbarium specimens, and another exhaustive literature analysis carried out in this laboratory (Li et al in press)
The recorded altitude ranges of the recognized potential host insects were found to vary from 2800 to 5100 m
The relationships between the insect species and O. sinensis were clarified based on available information
Summary
In the late spring or summer of the year, a clavate stroma of the fungus grows from the sclerotium and emerged from the ground appearing as a herb, which is regarded as “summer grass” (Pegler et al 1994, Yao 2004). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the fungus is believed to nourish the lungs and kidneys (Wu 1757). It has been shown in recent studies to have multiple pharmacological effects, including immunomodulating (Wu et al 2006), hypocholesterolemic (Koh et al 2003), hypoglycemic (Zhang et al 2006), anti-tumor (Wu et al 2005), anti-oxidation (Dong and Yao 2008) and anti-aging (Ji et al 2009) activities
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