Species diversity of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae and M. flavoviride species complexes isolated from insects in Japan

Phylogenetic analyses of insect-derived isolates of the Metarhizium anisopliae and M. flavoviride species complexes in Japan were conducted to reveal their species diversity. Fifty-seven isolates were identified as nine species, including one species first reported for Japan. Metarhizium pingshaense was the most frequently isolated species from this genus, and the 29 isolates of M. pingshaense came from six orders and 14 families of insects. New host-pathogen associations were found for two species with relatively narrow host ranges: Hymenoptera-M. pemphigi, Orthoptera- and Phasmatodea-M. majus.