Conidiobolus polyspermus Drechsler, Mycologia

Nie, Yong, Yin, Ying, Zhao, Heng, Liu, XiaoYong & Huang, Bo, 2024, Unveiling species diversity within the family Conidiobolaceae (Entomophthorales) in China: Descriptions of two new species and reassessment of the taxonomic position of Conidiobolus polyspermus, MycoKeys 105, pp. 203-216 : 203-216

Conidiobolus polyspermus Drechsler, Mycologia , 53: 279. 1961.

Specimens examined.

United States, Maryland, 26 July 1955, Drechsler, ATCC 14444.

Description.

Refer to Drechsler (1961).

Notes.

In accordance with King’s numerical taxonomy of Conidiobolus ( King 1976 b) , C. polyspermus was initially identified as a synonym of C. megalotocus . However, upon a thorough comparison of morphological traits based on the original descriptions, it became evident that C. polyspermus (15–55 × 12–48 μm) produces larger conidia than those of C. megalotocus (12–44 × 10–42 μm). Notably, C. polyspermus is not reported to form microconidia, distinguishing it from C. megalotocus ( Drechsler 1956; 1961). Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 1 ) revealed a distinct relationship between C. polyspermus and C. megalotocus . In light of these findings, we propose the separation of C. polyspermus from C. megalotocus , affirming its taxonomic status at the species level.

Figures

Figure 1. Maximum likelihood (ML) tree obtained by phylogenetic analyses of the combined nucLSU, EFL and mtSSU sequences. Two Azygosporus and three Microconidiobolus species were served as outgroups. The proposed new species is in boldface. Maximum Likelihood bootstrap values (≥ 70 %) / Bayesian posterior probabilities (≥ 0.95) of clades are provided alongside the branches. The scale bar at the bottom left indicates substitutions per site.