Ophiocordyceps formicarum is an entomopathogenic fungus belonging to the order Hypocreales (Ascomycota) in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. The fungus was first described by mycologist George S. Kobayashi in 1939 as a species of Cordyceps. Originally found in Japan growing on an adult Hercules ant (Camponotus herculeanus var. obscuripes),[2] it was reported from Guizhou, China, in 2003.[3] It was transferred to the new genus Ophiocordyceps in 2007 when the family Cordycipitaceae was reorganized.[1] A technique has been developed to grow the fungus in an agar growth medium supplemented with yeast extract, inosine, and glucose.[4]
