Basionym: Isaria cicadae Miquel, Bull. Sci. phys. Nat. néerl. sér. 2, 10: 378 (1838)
Synonyms:Cordyceps cicadae (Miquel) Massee, Ann. Bot. 9: 38 (1895) Paecilomyces cicadae (Miquel) Samson, Stud. Mycol. 6: 52 (1974) ? Sphaeria basili Taylor, New Zealand and its Inhabitants, p. 424 (1844) = Isaria basili (Taylor) Y. Kobayashi, Sci. Rep. Tokyo Bunrika Daig Sect. B, 5: 244 (1941) Sphaeria sinclairii Berk., Fl. New Zealand 2: 338 (1855) = Cordyceps sinclairii (Berk.) Sacc., Syll. Fung. 2: 577 (1883) = Isaria sinclairii (Brek.) Lloyd, Mycol. Writings 7: 1179 (1923) Torrubia caespitosa Tull., Sel. Fung. Carpol. 3: 11 (1865) = Cordyceps caespitosa (Tul.) Sacc., Michelia 1: 320 (1878) Isaria arbuscula Hariot, Bull. Soc. mycol. Fr. 8: 67 (1893) Isaria hariotii Arnaud, Bull. trimest. Soc. mycol. Fr. 31: 20 (1915) Isaria mokanshawii Lloyd, Mycol. Writings 5: 854 (1919) Isaria cosmopsaltriae Yasuda, Bull Mag. Tokyo 32: 263 (1918) – and Lloyd – Mycol. Writings 5: 806 (1918)
Teleomorph state: suspected in Cordyceps
Description:Specimens were found in the soil. Hosts are only cicada nymphs. Synnemata were erect and simple with branching near the apex, often clavate, growing from a white to creamy mycelium which covers the host, powdery and floccose near the apex due to the mass of conidia. Conidiogenous structures more swollen in nature than from in vitro cultures. Colonies on PDA are fast growing, attaining a diam. of 70-80 mm within 14 d at 25°C. Colonies are floccose, at first white turning into cream-brown and looking powdery with age. Conidiogenous cells flask-shaped 4.2-6.5 x 2.5-3.5 mm. Conidia large, cylindrical, 3.5-8.0 x 1.5-3.5 mm, hyaline to white. Isaria cicadae has only been collected in the southern part of Thailand. No collections have ever been made anywhere else in the country and it always produces a distinct clavate, white powdery head with huge, cylindrical conidia.
References:Luangsa-ard, J.J., Hywel-Jones, N.L., Manoch, L. & Samson, R.A. (2005). On the relationships of Paecilomyces sect. Isarioidea species. Mycological Research 109: 581-589. Samson, R.A. (1974). Paecilomyces and some allied Hyphomycetes. Studies in Mycology 6: 52-54.