The exquisite ectoparasitic Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniomycetes) are a group of fungi including about 2,100 species that infect a wide range of arthropod hosts - mostly true insects, but also mites and millipedes. The vast majority of species (80%) are found on beetles (Coleoptera). The total number of Laboulbeniales is estimated at 15-75,000 species (Weir & Hammond, 1997), most of which will be found in the tropical regions. These fungi do not produce a mycelium but individual fruiting bodies (or thalli) instead, which are easily observable (sometimes with a hand lens or even the naked eye). However, they often go unnoticed by entomologists and even mycologists rarely collect these fungi. So it is not surprising that we have limited understanding of the life histories of these amazing parasites.
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