EntomoFun 1.0: A global database of entomopathogenic fungi and associations with their hosts

Pathogens significantly influence natural and agricultural ecosystems,
playing a crucial role in regulating species populations and maintaining
biodiversity. Entomopathogenic fungi (EF), particularly within the
Hypocreales order, exemplify understudied pathogens that infect insects
and other arthropods globally. Despite their ecological importance,
comprehensive data on EF host specificity and geographical distribution
have been lacking. To address this, we present EntomoFun 1.0, an
open-access database centralizing global records of EF-insect associations
in Hypocreales. This database includes 1,791 records detailing EF species,
insect host taxa, country of occurrence, life stages of hosts, and
information sources. EntomoFun 1.0 is constructed from over 600 literature
sources, as well as herbarium specimens of the Royal Botanical Gardens,
Kew. This database is intended for testing hypotheses, identifying
knowledge gaps, and stimulating future research. Contents of the EntomoFun
1.0 database are partly visualized with a global map, taxonomic chart,
graphs, and a bipartite community network. An interactive map with
geographic distributions of the considered species can be consulted
here: https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/28554534/