Beauveria sp.

Colonies are usually slow growing, downy, at first white but later often becoming yellow to pinkish. The genus Beauveria is characterized by the sympodial development of single-celled conidia (ameroconidia) on a geniculate or zig-zag rachis. Conidiogenous cells are flask-shaped, rachiform, proliferating sympodially and are often aggregated into sporodochia or synnemata. Conidia are hyaline and globose or ovoid in shape.  RG-1 organism.

Beauvaria bassiana showing sympodial development of conidia on a geniculate or zig-zag rachis. Conidiogenous cells are flask-shaped, rachiform, proliferating sympodially and are often aggregated into sporodochia or synnemata. Conidia are hyaline and globose or ovoid in shape.

Clinical significance:

Three species of Beauvaria are recognized, two of which are well known parasites of insects. B. bassiana is the most common species and is best known as the causal agent of the disastrous muscardine in silkworms. Beauveria species are occasionally isolated in the clinical laboratory as saprophytic contaminants.

Mycosis: Hyalohyphomycosis

Further reading:

Domsch, K.H., W. Gams, and T.H. Anderson. 1980. Compendium of soil fungi. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK.

Kwon-Chung, K.J. and J.E. Bennett. 1992. Medical Mycology. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia and London.