Caterpillar Fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) Optimizer

A novel bio-inspired optimization approach called caterpillar fungus optimizer (CFO) was proposed to solve serial engineering issues.

Larvae prefer to grow in soil that is high in moisture content and where plant growth is lush, which is also the preferred environment for caterpillar fungus. The humidity, which greatly attracts both larvae and caterpillar fungus in the soil, is usually influenced by groundwater and the type of soil. This unique soil environment and living habits create a unique setting for the production of caterpillar fungus.

Throughout the process of searching for larvae, caterpillar fungus tends to use a random searching mechanism and adjusts its searching strategy according to the environmental conditions at different stages. As a result, the combined effect of various factors introduces the exploration mechanism of caterpillar fungus in both horizontal and vertical dimensions, i.e., the wave advance operator and the spiral rising operator.

Caterpillar fungus exhibits a strategic choice between optimal parasitism and re-parasitism. The mathematical modeling of this selective parasitic behavior enhances the convergence of CFO towards higher parasitic success. This approach incorporates both the re-parasitic behavior characteristic of global search and the optimal parasitic behavior of local search. Such a dual strategy significantly enhances the search efficacy of the proposed CFO, facilitating a more comprehensive exploration and exploitation within the search space.