Metarhizium majus is the new name given to a group of fungal isolates that are known to be virulent against Scarabaeidae, a family of beetles. Previously, this species has had variety status in Metarhizium anisopliae (var. majus) and its name is derived from characteristically very large spores (typically 2.5–4 µm x 10–14 µm long) for the genus Metarhizium. There has been considerable interest in developing isolates of this species into mycoinsecticides: especially for coconut and oil palm beetle pests in SE Asia, the Pacific region and Africa.