Entomophthorales

Order within the mushrooms. It used to belong to the zygomycetes, but today it forms its own group. They are preferably parasites which preferentially attack insects (Entomophthorales - Greek: Entomo=insect - phthor=destruction).

Further species within this order live parasitically on plants or mammals, also on humans (see below mycoses). Besides parasitic species there are also saprophytic species, which are found on the ground in decayed plants. The entomophthorales can reproduce sexually and asexually.

The Entomophthorales are closely related to the predominantly saprophytic Mucorales (head mold) with the genera Absidia, Cunninghamella, Mucor, Rhizomucor and Rhizopus. These are triggers of the rare opportunistic mucorales (zygomycoses).

Within the fly killer fungi, two families are distinguished, which are called Basidiobolaceae and Entomophthoraceae (Entomophthorales). The best known species of Entomophthoraceae is Entomophthora muscae, which regularly causes the mass death of houseflies in autumn.

Basidiobolaceae are species that cause opportunistic infections of the skin and subcutaneous connective tissue in humans.

The Conibolus species, also belonging to this family, grow in insects. Conidiobolus coronatus parasitizes mainly in tropical regions on the skin and connective tissue of humans and leads to the clinical picture of conidiobolomycosis (conidiobolomycosis), a deeply cutaneous localized but also systemically occurring, worldwide spread mycosis. The most frequent cases have been reported from Equatorial Africa, Central America and India. This opportunistic mycosis was in the past also called rhinophycomycosis or rhinoentomophhoramycosis. The infection occurs via inhalation or via small injuries of the skin or mucous membranes.

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