Life Cycle of Cordyceps Sinensis (Wild Cordyceps)

The life cycle of the wild cordyceps (Cordyceps Sinensis) can be summarized into 4 steps as shown below with illustration:

Hepialid moths originate from highlands  2000-6000 m above sea level in Tibet, Nepal  or the mountainous regions of Yunnan, China.	During winter, the larva will hibernate. Its  flesh contains a high amount of nutrition  that can sustain life for 4 months.
Parasitic fungi then attacks the larva's body during hibernation. The larva's nutrition will be digested as  'food' by the fungi which will eventually transform  into a mushroom in summer.	During summer, mushroom stroma, at a length of 3-5 cm, will sprout from each larva's head.

It is obvious from the pictures that the wild cordyceps are difficult to harvest and limited to grow only in China mountains. This is why sophisticated biotechnology is used to culture them, in order to maximize the supply by mass production. It is also used because of quality control, it is able to product cordyceps with consistent and highest quality (even higher than the wild!). Read on further for comparisons between wild and biotechnology cultured cordyceps.

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