Entomophthoromycota is a division of kingdom fungi. In 2007, it was placed at the taxonomic rank of subphylum in the most recent revision of the entire fungus kingdom. In 2012, it was raised to the rank of phylum as "Entomophthoromycota" in a scientific paper by Richard A. Humber 2012. Divided into three classes and six families (Ancylistaceae, Basidiobolaceae, Completoriaceae, Entomophthoraceae, Meristacraceae, and Neozygitaceae), it contains over 250 species that are mostly arthropod pathogens or soil- and litter-borne saprobes.
Taxonomy
Circumscribed by mycologist Richard Humber in 2012, it contains species formerly classified in the division Zygomycota. Humber's reorganization divides the division into three classes while retaining the previously defined family structure:
Division Entomophthoromycota <small>Humber 2012</small> [Entomophthoromycotina <small>Humber 2007</small>]
Class Neozygitomycetes <small>Humber 2012</small>
:Order Neozygitales <small>Humber 2012</small>
::Family Neozygitaceae <small>Ben ZeâÂÂev, Kenneth & Uziel 1987</small>
::::Apterivorax <small>Keller 2005</small>
::::Neozygites <small>Witlaczil 1885</small> [Thaxterosporium <small>Ben Ze'ev & Kenneth 1987</small>]
Class Entomophthoromycetes <small>Humber 2012</small> [Entomomycetidae <small>Cavalier-Smith 1998 em. 2012</small>]
:Order Entomophthorales <small>Winter 1880</small> [Ancylistales <small>Schröter</small>]
::Family Ancylistaceae <small>Schröter 1893</small>
::::Ancyclistes <small>Pfitzer 1872</small>
::::Conidiobolus <small>Brefeld 1884 emend. Humber 1989</small> [Conidiobolus (Capillidium) <small>Ben-ZeâÂÂev & Kenneth 1982</small>; Conidiobolus (Conidiobolus) <small>(Brefeld) Ben-ZeâÂÂev & Kenneth 1982</small>; Conidiobolus (Delacroixia) <small>(Sacc. & Syd.) Tyrrell & MacLeod 1972</small>]
::::Macrobiotophthora <small>Reukauf 1912 emend. Tucker 1981</small>
::Family Completoriaceae <small>Humber 1989</small>
::::Completoria <small>Lohde 1874</small>
::Family Entomophthoraceae <small>Nowakowski 1877</small> [Empusaceaae]
:::Subfamily Erynioideae <small>Keller 2005</small> [Massosporoideae <small>Keller 2005</small>]
::::Erynia <small>(Nowakowski ex Batko 1966) Remaud. & Hennebert 1980.emend. Humber 1989</small> [Zoophthora (Erynia) <small>Nowakowski ex Batko 1966</small>]
::::Eryniopsis <small>Humber 1984</small> (in part)
::::Furia <small>(Batko 1966) Humber 2005</small> [Zoophthora (Furia) <small>Batko 1966</small>; Erynia (Furia) <small>(Batko 1966) Li & Humber 1984</small>]
::::Orthomyces <small>Steinkraus, Humber & Oliver 1988</small>
::::Pandora <small>Humber 2005</small> [Erynia (Neopandora) <small>Ben-ZeâÂÂev & Kenneth 1982</small>]
::::Strongwellsea <small>Batko & Weiser 1965 emend. Humber 1976</small>
::::Zoophthora <small>Batko 1964 emend. Ben-ZeâÂÂev & Kenneth 2005</small>
:::Subfamily Entomophthoroideae <small>Keller 2005</small>
::::Batkoa <small>Humber 2005</small>
::::Entomophaga <small>Batko 1964 emend. Humber 1989</small>
::::Entomophthora <small>Fresenius 1856</small> [Empusa (Triplosporium) <small>Thaxter 1888</small>; Triplosporium <small>(Thaxter 1888) Batko 1964</small>]
::::Eryniopsis <small>Humber 1984</small> (in part)
::::Massospora <small>Peck 1879 emend. Soper 1974</small>
::Family Meristacraceae <small>Humber 1989</small>
:::Meristacrum <small>Drechsler 1940 emend. Tucker & Humber 1981</small> (syn Tabanomyces <small>Couch et al.</small>)
Genera that have an uncertain status or have been excluded from the Entomophthoromycota include Ballocephala, Tarichium, and Zygnemomyces.<br /> Synonyms from "Part 1- Virae, Prokarya, Protists, Fungi". Ballocephala and Zygnemomyces were transferred to Mucoromycota division.
Basidiobolomycetes was transferred to Basidiobolomycota.
Description
Species in the Entomophthoromycota generally share several characteristics. Their vegetative cells are coenocytic; sporulation occurs by production of forcibly discharged dispersive or infective conidia; and their zygospores (which also function as resting spores) are homothallic.
References