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Medicinal
Lookalike Danger
1 / 5
Habitat
🌱 Buried insects
Season
Jul – Sep
"Orange club rises from a buried caterpillar or beetle. Parasitic fungus. Traditional Chinese medicine."
🌳 Host Trees & Plants
This species is found with or partners with the following hosts. Ectomycorrhizal hosts (green border) form a root-level partnership; ericoid / arbutoid shrubs (purple border) share the same mycorrhizal networks.
Insect Host
Parasitic on insects
Saprobic substrate
Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps parasitize insect larvae — the fruiting body erupts from the buried, mummified host.
Parasitic fungi that infect insects — famous "zombie fungus" that controls its host's behavior. Traditional Tibetan medicine uses Ophiocordyceps sinensis (yartsa gunbu) harvested from caterpillar hosts. Commercial Cordyceps militaris is cultivated and widely sold.
Habitat
Species-specific to insect hosts worldwide. Wild O. sinensis only at 3,000-5,000m in the Himalayas.
Season Windows by Region
Region
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Daniel Boone NF
KY · 700–2,700 ft
Land Between the Lakes
KY · 350–750 ft
Shawnee NF
IL · 350–1,065 ft
Central IL Prairies
IL · 450–850 ft
NW IL Driftless
IL · 600–1,200 ft
Hoosier NF / Brown County
IN · 500–1,050 ft
Central IN
IN · 650–1,050 ft
NE Indiana
IN · 750–1,100 ft
Eastern IA River Valleys
IA · 550–1,100 ft
Southern IA
IA · 700–1,300 ft
Chattahoochee National Forest
GA · 1,200–4,784 ft
Apalachicola National Forest
FL · 10–300 ft
Ocala National Forest
FL · 20–200 ft
Myakka / Southwest Florida
FL · 5–100 ft
Berkshires / Western MA
MA · 500–3,491 ft
Northwest CT Hills
CT · 400–2,380 ft
Eastern Kansas River Valleys
KS · 750–1,200 ft
NE Kansas Woodlands
KS · 800–1,300 ft
Ozark NF
AR · 700–2,700 ft
Ouachita NF (AR)
AR · 600–2,700 ft
Buffalo National River
AR · 500–2,500 ft
Bankhead NF
AL · 600–1,100 ft
Talladega NF
AL · 700–2,407 ft
Kisatchie NF
LA · 80–400 ft
Western MD / Catoctin
MD · 700–3,360 ft
White Clay Creek
DE · 100–350 ft
Flint Hills
KS · 1,000–1,600 ft
Loess Hills
IA · 1,000–1,500 ft
NE Iowa Driftless / Effigy Mounds
IA · 650–1,250 ft
Oconee NF / GA Piedmont
GA · 400–800 ft
Atchafalaya Basin
LA · 5–50 ft
Conecuh NF
AL · 200–400 ft
Mobile-Tensaw Delta
AL · 0–50 ft
Okefenokee / SE GA
GA · 100–200 ft
Blackwater / FL Panhandle
FL · 50–300 ft
Smoky Hills / Wilson Lake
KS · 1,500–1,950 ft
Cape Cod National Seashore
MA · 0–306 ft
Pachaug SF / Eastern CT
CT · 200–500 ft
Trap Pond / DE Bald Cypress
DE · 20–80 ft
Pocomoke / Eastern Shore
MD · 0–50 ft
Growing Requirements
Min Soil Temp
55°F
Moisture Need
rain 0.5in 7d
Drought Tolerance
moderate
Elevation Range
0–4,784 ft
Look-Alikes
Ophiocordyceps species
All Cordyceps are non-toxic.
Identification Tips
- ✓Cultivated Cordyceps militaris is widely available in supplement form
- ✓Wild sinensis is $20,000+/kg — conservation concerns
Field Notes
Buried insects
Found Cordyceps?
Photograph it and log your observation on iNaturalist. The community can help confirm your ID — always get confirmation before eating.
Safety: Never eat any wild mushroom without 100% certain identification from multiple sources. This page is for informational purposes only. When in doubt, throw it out.