Pochonins are antiviral and antiparasitic resorcylic acid lactones (RAL) structurally related to monorden. They were found in the invertebrate-associated fungus Pochonia chlamydosporia. Their production and distribution was studied by means of High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV-visual and mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-UV/Vis and HPLC- MS) in cultures of Pochonia species and further conidial fungi with Verticillium-like anamorphs that had until recently been included in Verticillium sect. Prostrata. The results support the recent generic segregation by Gams, Zare and co-workers because pochonins were found to occur exclusively in species of the genus Pochonia. With few exceptions, the produc- tion of RAL appeared to be a rather constant feature in cultures of P. chlamydosporia from around the world. According to preliminary results, secondary metabolite profiles in strains of allied genera such as Lecanicillium, Haptocillium and Roti- ferophthora are different from those encountered in Pochonia. The alkaloid pseurotin A was found as main metabolite in several of the P. chlamydosporia isolates examined. As inferred from HPLC profiling data, strains of P. suchlasporia clustered into at least three chemotypes. The ex-type strain of P. suchlasporia var. catenata produced monorden, while several other strains produced metabolites whose HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS characteristics were similar to the mycotoxins, aurovertin B and citreoviridin A. Yet different metabolites were detected in a third chemotype of P. suchlasporia. Diffe- rences in secondary metabolite profiles were also found in two strains of P. bulbillosa. While the ex-type strain was found devoid of all aforementioned compounds, CBS 247.68 contained the aurovertin-related metabolites detected in part of the P. suchlasporia isolates. The sequence of the ITS nrDNA of CBS 247.68 was different from that of the type strain but identical to the sequences of P. suchlasporia var. catenata. Several strains of the latter variety showed identical sequen- ces, despite considerable variations in their HPLC metabolite profiles. Minisatellite PCR fingerprinting was found useful to segregate Pochonia at species and strain level, pointing toward the existence of further, cryptic species. The possible chemo- taxonomical importance and ecological functions of secondary metabolites in these fungi is discussed.