The order Hypocreales is a diverse group of fungi within the class Sordariomycetes, characterized by brightly colored, often soft-textured fruiting bodies called perithecia. Members of this order exhibit a wide range of lifestyles, including saprophytic, parasitic, and mutualistic interactions with plants, insects, and other fungi. Many species are notable for their ecological and economic importance: some are used in biological control of pests, others produce medically and industrially significant secondary metabolites, while a few can cause plant diseases. Hypocreales fungi typically have asci with unitunicate, inoperculate structures and produce ascospores that vary in shape and septation, contributing to their identification and classification.