What is "muscardine"

Muscardine \Mus`car*dine"\, n. [F.] A disease which is very destructive to silkworms, and which sometimes extends to other insects. It is attended by the development of a fungus (provisionally called Botrytis bassiana). Also, the fungus itself.

n. a fungus, (taxlink Beauveria bassiana species noshow=1), that affects silkworms, their bodies becoming white and covered with spores

Muscardine is a disease of insects. It is caused by many species of entomopathogenic fungus. Many muscardines are known for affecting silkworms. Muscardine may also be called calcino.

While studying muscardine in silkworms in the 19th century, Agostino Bassi found that the causal agent was a fungus. This was the first demonstration of the germ theory of disease, the first time a microorganism was recognized as an animal pathogen.

There are many types of muscardine. They are often named for the color of the conidial layer each fungus leaves on its host.