The story
The world’s most lucrative parasite prefers ghost moth larvae, but it’s much too prevalent.
The world’s most lucrative parasite lives within the larvae of ghost moths, which it infects throughout the summer when the caterpillars are underground. During the next several months, the body-snatching fungus will steadily eat away at its host before releasing its nearly-dead slave and spearing a fruiting body from its head.
In Tibet, they are called Yartsa Gunbu, and in China, they are called Dng Chóng Xià Co, which means “winter worm, summer grass” in each language. This is because, from the top, the fungus looks like earth-colored stalks growing out of the ground. They are very good at recognizing this sight because the Himalayan caterpillar fungus has become one of Earth’s most valuable living things.
It is worth between $20,000 and $40,000 per kilogram or up to $140,000 for a big piece. In China, they call it “soft gold.” It is in the same genus as Ophiocordyceps, which is a parasitic fungus that takes over the brains of ants and spiders and turns them into zombies. In the movie “The Last of Us,” these mushrooms were the main characters.
benefits
Ophiocordycep Sinensis is particularly uncommon, according to a 2013 report, since it is estimated to have around 30 bioactivities. “Recently, antiarteriosclerosis, antidepression, and antiosteoporosis activities, photoprotection, bowel injury prevention and treatment, endurance capacity building, and learning-memory enhancement have been identified as O. sinensis bioactivities.”
It has been utilized in traditional medicine for 700 years, and the demand for O. Sinensis remains high. The fungus itself has become endangered in recent years as a result of overuse, habitat destruction, and climate change.
Studies have shown that the Himalayan caterpillar fungus grows best in places that are colder and have permafrost at least part of the time. Most of the blame for its decline has been put on harvesting, but the research found that a warming climate is just as dangerous to its survival.
The once-common fungus has become less common over the past few years, which is bad news for people and other animals. As Stu Pickell, president of the Los Angeles Mycological Society, said about California’s upcoming mushroom “superbloom,” fungi are an important part of the ecosystem, and their decreasing numbers mean that many people who have relied on the caterpillar fungus as a source of income may have trouble making a living.