Frontiers in Entomopathogenic Fungi - Diversity, Ecology and Bioprospects

This contributed volume provides an in-depth examination of entomopathogenic fungi, focusing on their diversity, ecological roles, and potential as biocontrol agents. It brings together contributions from leading scholars and practitioners to explore key research and applications in this dynamic field.
The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including classification and evolutionary dynamics of entomopathogenic fungi, their genomic and molecular determinants, and their interactions with insect hosts. The book also explores the role of secondary metabolites in fungal virulence, along with innovative applications in agriculture and pest management. Additionally, it addresses the challenges and opportunities in commercializing these fungi for sustainable agriculture, providing a comprehensive overview of their biocontrol potential. Further, it discusses the diverse applications of fungal secondary metabolites in the pharmaceutical industry and medicinal chemistry.
Blending theoretical perspectives with practical case studies, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, students, and professionals in mycology, entomology, and biotechnology. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the ecological roles of entomopathogenic fungi and their transformative potential in pest management and sustainable agriculture.

List of contents

Section - Diversity.- Fungi That Hunt: Diversity, Mechanisms, and Evolutionary Perspectives.- Classification of Entomopathogenic Fungi and Evolutionary Dynamics.- Global Potential Distribution of Cordyceps militaris, C. tenuipes and Ophiocordyceps nutans.- Section - Genomics.- Genomics of Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Genetic Manipulation of Entomopathogenic Fungi for Enhanced Virulence Against Insect Pests.- Molecular Determinants of Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Section - Host Pathogen Interactions.- Host Pathogen Interaction Between Entomopathogenic Fungi and Insect Hosts.- Insights into Trichoderma and its Host Specificity.- Entomopathogenic Fungi Mediating Plant Growth and Reducing Insect Infestation.- Entomopathogenic Fungi in Plant Growth Promotion and Pest Resistance.- Role of Endophytic Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Section - Secondary Metabolites.- Role of Secondary Metabolites in Entomopathogenic Fungal Virulence.- Enzymes from Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Biofunctional Applications of Trichoderma spp. (Hypocreaceae): Potential in the Production of Indole Acetic Acid, Growth Promoter, Biofungicide and Fertilizer in Rice Cultivation.- Pharmaceutical applications of secondary metabolites of EPF.- Section - Biocontrol.- Application of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Biocontrol Agents.- The Control of Fire Ants with Emphasis on the Use of Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Entomopathogenic Fungi Indigenous to Oaxaca, Mexico: A Biological Solution Against Scyphophorus acupunctatus on Agave spp. (Asparagaceae).- Section - Agricultural Applications.- Application of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Agricultural Sector.- Challenges and Opportunities in the Commercialization of Entomopathogenic Fungi for Sustainable Agriculture.- Strategies in Mass Production of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, Purpureocillium lilacinum, and Lecanicillium lecanii for Agricultural Application.- Ecological Roles and Functions of Entomopathogenic Fungi in Insect Population Dynamics.- Section - Bioinsecticides and Pest Management.- Application of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Biopesticides.- Advances in the Production of Bioinsecticides Based on Conidia from Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Application of Entomopathogenic Fungi as Biocontrol Agents for Insect Pest Management.- Synergistic Strategies: Enhancing Pest Management through the Compatibility of Entomopathogenic Fungi and Other Biocontrol Agents.- Entomopathogenic fungi and their Nano formulations: Bridging nature and technology for effective pest management.- Section - Innovative Future Applications.- Futurology of Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Innovative Applications and Future Potential of Entomopathogenic Fungi.- Restoration of SoilFertility Using Entomopathogenic and Endophytic Fungi.- Tapping the Untapped Potential of Entomopathogen Trichoderma.- A Critical Review of the Taxonomic Status of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Chán Hua and its Relationship to Ophiocordyceps sobolifera.- Safety assessment and residual pathogenic effects of entomopathogenic fungi.

About the author

Sunil Kumar Deshmukh is a Scientific Advisor to Greenvention Biotech, Uruli Kanchan, Pune, India, and AGPharmBioinnovations LLP, Patiala, Punjab, India. He is a veteran industrial mycologist who spent a substantial part of his career in drug discovery at Hoechst Marion Roussel Limited [now Sanofi India Ltd.], Mumbai, and Piramal Enterprises Limited, Mumbai. He has also served at the TERI-Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre, New Delhi, and as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Deakin University, Australia. He has to his credit 8 patents, 156 publications, and 26 books on various aspects of fungi and natural products of microbial origin. He is the president of the Association of Fungal Biologists (AFB) and a past president of the Mycological Society of India (MSI).  Dr. Deshmukh is Managing Editor of Mycological Spectrum, the official Journal of Association of Fungal Biologists.  He has approximately four decades of research experience dealing with bioactives from fungi, including keratinophilic fungi. He has approximately four decades of research experience in getting bioactives from fungi and various aspects of keratinophilic fungi.
Kandikere R. Sridhar is an adjunct professor (Department of Biosciences, Mangalore University, India) and a visiting professor (NITTE Deemed to be University, Mangalore, India). His research areas are the Diversity and Ecology of Fungi of the Western Ghats and maritime habitats. He was an NSERC fellow and visiting professor at Mount Allison University, Canada; the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research at UFZ and Martin Luther University, Germany; and the Centre of Biology, University of Minho, Portugal. He was a recipient of the Dr. Shome Memorial Award (2004), Vice President (2013), President (2018), and Lifetime Achievement Awardee (2019) of the Mycological Society of India. He is a Fellow of the Indian Mycological Society, Kolkata (2014), Distinguished Asian Mycologist (2015), and Outstanding Leader in Education and Research, Association of Agricultural Technology, Bangkok (2016). He was a UGC-BSR Faculty Fellow (2014–2017) and in the top 2% of scientists in the field of mycology (2020–2025). He has published over 600 research papers, edited 20 books, reviewed over 200 research articles, 25 project proposals, 12 book proposals, and evaluated 25 PhD theses (Australia, India, Mauritius, and Thailand).
Gurmeet Kour Bali is presently working as a senior project associate in the Department of Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC), CSIR-IMTECH, Chandigarh, India. Dr. Bali held the position of assistant professor in the Department of Zoology, DAV University, Jalandhar, India. She graduated with Master of Philosophy in Zoology from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and her Ph.D. from the Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, India. Her expertise is in the field of entomopathogenic fungal diversity and its efficacy against insect pests, and its application as a biocontrol agent. Her work was published in the reputed journals, including “Scientific Data”. Dr. Bali also presented her paper at the “SOL2023 International Solanaceae Genome Conference,” conducted by the Department of Plant Sciences at McGill University, Canada. She has attended many ICAR and DST workshops in the fields of mycology and entomology, giving an edge to her research work. She has seven national and international research papers to her credit.
Belle Damodara Shenoy is a distinguished fungal taxonomist and Senior Principal Scientist at CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Regional Centre Visakhapatnam, India, with Ph.D. (2007, University of Hong Kong) and postdoctoral training in Canada. His research spans marine mycology, environmental biotechnology, and fungal ecology, most notably microbial degradation of marine pollutants, trace-metal impacts on fungal diversity, and discovery of bioactive marine fungi. With over 50 peer-reviewed publications, he is recognized internationally for advancing fungal taxonomy and microbial ecology. As Managing Editor of MycoAsia Journal of Modern Mycology, and Associate Editor for multiple journals, he plays a leading role in shaping scholarship in fungal and marine microbiology. Dr. Shenoy’s unique combination of expertise in rigorous taxonomy, applied environmental science, editorial leadership, and his dedicated regional focus on the Global South contributes significantly to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering collaboration in these critical areas.

Summary

This contributed volume provides an in-depth examination of entomopathogenic fungi, focusing on their diversity, ecological roles, and potential as biocontrol agents. It brings together contributions from leading scholars and practitioners to explore key research and applications in this dynamic field.
The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including classification and evolutionary dynamics of entomopathogenic fungi, their genomic and molecular determinants, and their interactions with insect hosts. The book also explores the role of secondary metabolites in fungal virulence, along with innovative applications in agriculture and pest management. Additionally, it addresses the challenges and opportunities in commercializing these fungi for sustainable agriculture, providing a comprehensive overview of their biocontrol potential. Further, it discusses the diverse applications of fungal secondary metabolites in the pharmaceutical industry and medicinal chemistry.
Blending theoretical perspectives with practical case studies, this volume serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, students, and professionals in mycology, entomology, and biotechnology. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the ecological roles of entomopathogenic fungi and their transformative potential in pest management and sustainable agriculture.

Product details

• Assisted by: Gurmeet Kour Bali (Editor), Sunil Kumar Deshmukh (Editor), Gurmee Kour Bali et al (Editor), Kandikere Ramaiah Sridhar (Editor), Belle Damodara Shenoy (Editor), Kandikere Ramaiah Sridhar (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 18.05.2026
• EAN: 9789819565283
• ISBN: 978-981-9565-28-3
• No. of pages: 572
• Illustrations: XII, 572 p. 98 illus., 77 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Microbiology; Biotechnologie, Biologie, Biowissenschaften, Evolution, Wissenschaftliche Ausstattung, Experimente und Techniken, Mikrobiologie (nicht-medizinisch), biotechnology, microbiology, Fungi, Genomics, Secondary metabolites, Microbiology Techniques, Pest management, Entomopathogenic Fungi, Endophytic fungi, Bioinsecticides, Host specificity