Insecticidal properties of mushroom and toadstool carpophores

In order to find compounds with insecticidal or antifeedant properties from mushrooms and toadstools, a wide screening was undertaken using the non-mycophagous Drosophila melanogaster as a model insect. Powdered fruit bodies of edible and poisonous mushrooms were incorporated with the Drosophila's rearing medium, and their development was observed. Among the 175 different species of fungi tested, 79 were found to inhibit insect development, hence making the isolation of new compounds look hopeful.