Taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolutionary diversification of spider-pathogenic fungi from China (Hypocreales, Ascomycota)

and indicated that spider-pathogenic fungi likely emerged during the mid-Cretaceous and subsequently diversified. Multiple lineages displayed marked trends toward host specialization, suggesting that these fungi developed highly efficient parasitic strategies to exploit constrained ecological niches. This research substantially expands the documented diversity of araneopathogenic fungi, providing a robust phylogenetic framework for elucidating their evolutionary origins and diversification patterns, while offering valuable biological resources for future biotechnological and ecological applications.