Species Use Database

Chinese caterpillar fungus, yartsa gunbu
Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Used for Medicine and hygiene and Ceremony and ritual expression in Nepal

A. Species

Scientific name: Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Common name(s): Chinese caterpillar fungus, yartsa gunbu

Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Vulnerable


B. Location of use

Geographic location(s):

  • Nepal

Country/Region: Nepal


C. Scale of assessment

Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State

Name/Details of location: contiguous valleys of Nubri and Tsum, northern Gorkha District


D. Timescale of use

Start Year: 2011

End Year: 2012


E. Information about the use

How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Type of use: Extractive

Practice of use: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild

Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal

Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism

Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene and Ceremony and ritual expression

Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual

Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law


F. Information about the Users

Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people


G. Information about the sustainability of use

Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Authors highlight that there is a "positive relationship between the number of household residents and yartsa gunbu income. The same relationship also holds true between household size and traditional signifiers of wealth: land and cattle. Because households that are already relatively wealthy tend to have larger labor forces, the yartsa gunbu harvest may be simultaneously improving everyone’s standard of living and increasing wealth inequity within the villages. This is a topic that merits further research."

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: While many locals rely on the income from this fungus trade for food and clothes, education and medical care for their families, survey answers from locals also highlight the potential for social problems resulting from the sudden cash influx: "Take me for example. If I could collect 100 worms today, I would spend 500 rupees on drinking. We are not thinking right. Most of us are like that. There are many hotels around here where we get together and drink. But some people can save well. If your wife is smart, then you can save some money. People like me end up with nothing. We only think about the present and live life as it comes."

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not record human health sustainability

Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined

Details of assessment carried out: this study

Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not record animal health sustainability


Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species

Authors conclude that " people across the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayan region are grappling with issues associated with yartsa gunbu: how to effectively manage a common resource, how to ensure equitable access, and how to deal with the sudden influx of income. They are confronting these issues using a combination of traditional regulations and novel ideas. The results are mixed. On the negative side, some areas have witnessed the degradation of pastures, turf wars and violence, discordant social relationships, and heavy drinking. On the positive side, yartsa gunbu provides an opportunity for people to improve their standard of living, start business ventures, enhance religious life, provide better education for children, and mitigate the economic burden associated with deaths in the family. Household-level improvements are being accomplished independent of state-sponsored development initiatives, and in the case of Nubri and Tsum management practices that were devised independent of state interference may prove to be sustainable over the long-run."


Record source

Information about the record source: scientific_pub

Date of publication/issue/production: 2014-01-01T00:00:00+0000

Source Reference(s):

Childs, G., & Choedup, N. (2014). Indigenous Management Strategies and Socioeconomic Impacts ofYartsa Gunbu (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) Harvesting in Nubri and Tsum, Nepal. Studies, 34(1), 7.

Date of record entry: 2022-12-07


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