"These fungi are very selective," says co-author on the new research, Raymond St. Leger. "They know where they are from chemical signals and the shapes of features on an insect's body. The strain we are working with likes mosquitoes. When this fungus detects that it is on a mosquito, it penetrates the mosquito's cuticle and enters the insect. It won't go to that trouble for other insects, so it's quite safe for beneficial species such as honeybees."

Source: The North Africa Journal May 31, 2019 05:48 UTC