Ophiocordyceps ainictos
Ophiocordyceps ainictos. Photo: Felipe Bittencourt
Ophiocordyceps ainictos is an entomopathogenic species found on litter or deeply decayed wood on soil. It parasitizes either a caterpillar or pupa of an unknown species. The species is known for only two records in the Vale do Itajaí region, inside Santa Catarina State, Brazil. O. ainictos is rare, as there is a high sampling effort in the Vale do Itajaí region, and still, the species was recorded first in 1901 and just 114 years after in 2015. It is expected that the species is endemic to Vale do Itajaí region, since there have been a high number of field surveys in other areas of Santa Catarina state, and the species has only been found in Vale do Itajaí. Due to a lack of data about its host and scarce collections, it is not possible to estimate the species population size and trends. Therefore, O. ainictos is considered Data Deficient under the IUCN criteria.
O. ainictos distribution map. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/209595557/209597943
References
- Bittencourt, F., Neves, M.A., Kossmann, T., Martins da Cunha, K., Baltazar, J.M., Costa-Rezende, D.H., Trierveiler-Pereira, L., Vieira de Miranda, M. & Drechsler-Santos, E.R. 2021. Ophiocordyceps ainictos. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T209595557A209597943. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T209595557A209597943.en. Accessed on 31 January 2022.
