Hesperomyces

Hesperomyces is a genus of fungi in the family Laboulbeniaceae. The genus contains at least fifteen species. Most of them are ectoparasites of ladybirds (Coccinellidae), only He. biphylli is reported from Biphyllidae and He. catopii from Mycetophagidae, but their status as species within the genus needs confirmation. The type species is the Green Beetle Hanger (Hesperomyces virescens). H. virescens (s.l.) is a complex of species. He. harmoniae, a member of this complex, is an ectoparasite of an invasive species to Europe and the Americas, the harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). Laboratory bioassays pointed out that He. virescens (s.l.)-infected ladybirds suffered increased mortality rates. The fungus completes its entire life cycle on the tough outer layer or integument of a living host where individual fruiting bodies or thalli are formed directly from ascospores. The thalli can form on any part of the insect, but spore germination likely only occurs once the host cuticle has hard......read more on Wikipedia.