Several areas in Qinghai, China, have recently issued notices stating that artificially bred Cordyceps militaris is considered an alien invasive species and is prohibited from cultivation.
According to the website of the People’s Government of Gangcha County, Haibei Prefecture, Qinghai Province, on Friday (the 19th), the Natural Resources, Forestry, and Grassland Bureau of Gangcha County issued a “Notice on Prohibiting the Cultivation of Artificial Cordyceps militaris in Gangcha County.” It stated that artificial Cordyceps militaris has entered the Cordyceps militaris trading market in Qinghai Province. This artificially bred Cordyceps militaris uses the Thitarodes xiaojinensis as its host insect. Thitarodes xiaojinensis, the host insect, is not naturally distributed in Qinghai Province and is considered an alien invasive species.
The Natural Resources, Forestry, and Grassland Bureau of Gangcha County stated in the notice that in order to protect the unique genetic resources of Cordyceps militaris in Qinghai Province and the interests of the vast agricultural and pastoral populations, and to prevent the risk of invasion by alien species, unauthorized outdoor cultivation activities of host insects of Cordyceps militaris not naturally distributed in Qinghai Province are prohibited in Gangcha County. Once discovered, they will be dealt with seriously in accordance with relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Ecological Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Biosafety Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Regulations on the Implementation of the Wildlife Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, and the Regulations on the Protection of Wild Plants of the People’s Republic of China.
On Thursday (the 18th), the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Minhe County, Haidong City, Qinghai Province, also issued a “Notice on Prohibiting the Outdoor Cultivation of Host Insects of Cordyceps militaris Not Distributed in Our Province,” with similar content. On Tuesday (the 16th), the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Haixi Prefecture also issued a similar notice, while the Natural Resources and Forestry Bureau of Xinghai County and Guinan County in Hainan Prefecture respectively issued notices with basically the same content on Monday (the 15th). Earlier, on April 10th, the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Yushu City, Yushu Prefecture, also issued a similar notice.
Public information shows that Cordyceps militaris is a composite organism formed by the infection of larvae of the bat moth family by fungi of the Cordyceps genus above 3,600 meters above sea level on the plateau. It grows and develops continuously within the larvae’s body and forms a fruiting body (commonly known as grass) the following summer. This composite organism of insect and grass is called Cordyceps militaris. Currently, there is at least one artificially cultivated Cordyceps militaris on the market, also known as pupa Cordyceps or northern Cordyceps militaris, which belongs to the same genus as Cordyceps militaris. Under natural conditions, it often uses larvae or pupae as hosts and is mainly distributed in the Changbai Mountain area of Northeast China.