Cordyceps militaris
Plant Family
Cordycipitaceae – the parasitic fungi family
Other Names
Caterpillar Fungus4, Scarlet Caterpillar Club1
Parts Used
Fruiting body and mycelial biomass
Uses
Supports the immune system.*
Supports healthy urinary function.*
Prominent Phytochemicals
Prominent Constituents as Reported in Scientific Literature: Nucleosides like cordycepin and adenosine, polysaccharides including beta-glucans, sterols like ergosterol and beta-sitosterol, adenine, amino acids including GABA and ergothioneine, glycoproteins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, minerals, and D-mannitol.1,5,10
This mushroom has become popular thanks to the 2023 fictional post-apocalyptic zombie drama The Last of Us, loosely inspired by wild Cordyceps fungal infection.
Description
The orange-red, simple head of the fruiting body is shaped like a club and approximately 4-5 cm.7 Its perforated-like surface is covered with sterile stroma.7 The actual fruiting bodies — the sparse-to-densely packed, flask-shaped perithecia — insert into the stroma.7 The spore-bearing asci is cylindrically shaped, often with spores that are long and filiform.7 The interior tissue is white to pale orange.7 The entire fruiting body ranges from 1 to 8 cm in height.7
Wild Species
Hyphae inside the dead insect pupae underground form dense, white sclerotia.7 From the sclerotium rises the conidial non-motile spore with a thin stalk and a wooly, feathery head that appears powdery and white.7 The stipe is a slender stalk with inconsistent height and diameter and can be whitish, yellowish, to orange.7
Origins & History
Its scientific genus name, Cordyceps, is derived from the Greek words kordyle for “club” and ceps for “head.” Its species name militaris likely refers to the growth of its fruiting body, which looks like a regiment of toy soldiers.1
Cordyceps is classified in the largest phylum, ascomycota, as a higher-class fungus.7 Ascomycota are also called sac fungi, due to their reproductive structure called an ascus.7
Over 700 species of the Cordyceps genus have been discovered, with most of them being parasitic to insects.2 This genus is entomopathogenic, meaning it propagates itself by preying on various insects.6,7 Cordyceps militaris commonly prey on hawk moths, or other butterfly and moth pupae, and beetles, like the Mimela costata species, that are partially submerged, buried underground, or living within largely-decomposed moss or wood.6,7
Infecting by first attaching to the insects’ exterior, the fungus then grows inside of the host by creating hyphae that spread within the insects’ bodies.1,9 The Cordyceps breaks down its insides for nutrients and takes control of the hosts’ body and mind.1,9 Just before the insect dies, usually while underground, it straightens its body.1,9 Then a stalk that becomes the fruiting body bursts through to the exterior, usually through its host’s head.1,9 Later the mushroom releases spores for reproduction by wind dispersal.1,9
Along with being parasitic, Cordyceps is also an osmotroph.7 The fungus moves dissolved organic compounds by osmosis to feed itself, thus helping the process of decomposition.7
In the wild, it grows in deciduous and mixed forests.7 In Europe, the fruiting bodies emerge in the months of August to November.7 Cordyceps militaris can be found in mountainous, terrestrial, or tropical humid forest habitats, with geographic distribution in many countries and most continents except Africa and Antartica.7
While the wild species’ parasitic growth patterns in the forest is captivating, it is more reliable, convenient, and affordable — not to mention vegan — to cultivate the species on a substrate in a controlled environment.1,2 Having similar chemical profiles, both cultivated and wild strains of Cordyceps militaris are seen as interchangeable.1,2,3,5,6
Distribution of compounds in the above-ground fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris is inconsistent, with the outer part found to contain more of certain compounds, like polysaccharides.5 Comparing the fruiting body to the mycelium, the chemical profiles are slightly different. While the fruiting body and mycelium have similar chemical profiles, some compounds are more concentrated in mycelium, while others are more concentrated in fruiting body. In short, both mycelium and fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris offer unique and valuable profiles.5,6
Carotenoids are responsible for the brilliant orange-red color of the fruiting bodies.5 This pigment compound group also lends its vibrant colors to Carrots, Saffron, Tomatoes, and Goji berries.5
Both parasitic, the Caterpillar Fungus (C. militaris) and the coveted Chinese Caterpillar Fungus or Dong Chong Xia Cao (Ophiocordyceps sinensis syn. C. sinensis) once shared the same scientific family until the Chinese species was reclassified into a new family and the genus renamed. While the two have been used in Asian cultures and traditional Chinese herbalism for many years — mostly in powdered form of the ground mushroom including the insect colonized by mycelium — it is unclear if both species were used for over a thousand years as noted in the literature.6,7
The genus has recently had a resurgence in popularity due to the 2023 fictional post-apocalyptic zombie drama from MAX called The Last of Us, which was loosely based on wild Cordyceps fungal infection.9 The show was originally based on a 2013 video game of the same name.9
The traditionally used Ophiocordyceps sinensis, native to the Himalayas, is now at risk due to overharvesting. It is very expensive (reported in 2019 at $140,000 a pound!) due to its rarity, the arduous trek needed to reach its high-altitude mountainous location, and the challenges of successfully and affordably cultivating it under wild-simulated conditions.3,6 Cultivated C. militaris, which grows quite well on grain (not insects!), has been found to be a very good alternative and a much more sustainable option.6 In China, production of the fruiting body of Cordyceps militaris was estimated at 10,100 metric tons per year in 2020.10 It is also grown on a large scale in Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, with the U.S. only growing it in a small-scale capacity.10
Making this fungus even more functional is the cross-industry use of the spent mushroom substrate as an additive to chicken feed.1 This alone has doubled the market price for this mycelial product, as studies show it increases egg mass and is said to create a sweeter-tasting yolk.1,8
References
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