Medicinal

Cicada cordyceps

Cordyceps cicadae

Habitat
Parasitic on cicada nymphs underground; East Asia.
Season
Summer emergence
Verified
October 4, 2025

Identification

Club-shaped fruiting bodies emerging from buried cicada nymphs — a striking parasitoid.

Research

Polysaccharides studied for immunomodulatory and kidney-protective effects — mostly preclinical; a few small human studies exist.

In practice

  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine; quality products come from verified cultivation.
#medicinal#cultivated

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Cordyceps cicadae
  2. PubMed: Cordyceps cicadae trial
  3. Research advances of Cordyceps cicadae (Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis, review)
  4. The Genus Cordyceps Sensu Lato: chemical constituents and biological activities (Life 2025)