Ophiocordyceps thanathonensis Y.P. Xiao, T.C. Wen & K.D. Hyde, 2017

Xiao, Yuan-Pin, Wen, Ting-Chi, Hongsanan, Sinang, Sun, Jing-Zu & Hyde, Kevin D., 2017, Introducing Ophiocordyceps thanathonensis, a new species of entomogenous fungi on ants, and a reference specimen for O. pseudolloydii, Phytotaxa 328 (2), pp. 115-126 : 120-122

Ophiocordyceps thanathonensis Y.P. Xiao, T.C. Wen & K.D. Hyde , sp. nov. FIGURE 2

Index Fungorum number: IF552731; Facesoffungi number: FoF 02827

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to Thanathon in north Thailand, the collection location

Holotype: MFLU 16–2908

Parasitic on ant (Hymenotera), collected from the underside of leaves litter. Sexual morph: Host 8–12 mm long, 4–6 mm wide, black ant without hyphae on the surface. Stromata 50–90 mm long, 0.5–3 mm diam, mostly single, stipitate, rarely double, arising from between the head and thorax of adult worker ants (Hymenotera), pale yellow to yellow. Stipe 40–90 mm long, 0.5–2 mm diam, clavate, with a fertile apex, becoming pale to yellow. Fertile head 0.8–1.3 mm wide, 2.5–3.2 mm diam, fusiform, yellow, upper surface roughened, lateral surface, ridged and furrowed. Ascomata 546–692 × 193–254 μm (= 619 × 224 μm, n = 30), immersed, oblique flask-shaped, thick-walled. Peridium 12– 19 mm (= 16 μm, n = 60) wide. Asci 369–496 × 5–7 μm (= 432 × 6 μm, n = 60), 8-spored, hyaline, narrow cylindrical, with a thickened apex. Apical cap 5–6.6 × 5.5–7.5 μm (= 6 × 6.5 μm, n = 60) thick, with a small channel in the center. Ascospores 365–490 × 1–2 μm (= 428 × 1.5 μm, n = 60), easily breaking into part-spores, filiform. Secondary ascospores 5.1–6.4 × 1.6–2.0 μm (= 5.7 × 1.8 μm, n = 90) fusiform to cylindrical, truncated at both ends, mostly curved, rarely straight, hyaline, smooth. Asexual morph: Undetermined.

Material examined: THAILAND, Chiang Rai. On dead ant (Hymenotera), 18 July 2015, Yuan-Pin Xiao , ( MFLU 16–2908 , holotype) ; ( MFLU 16–2909 , MFLU 16–2910 , MFLU 16–2911 , paratypes) .

Ophiocordyceps pseudolloydii (H.C. Evans & Samson) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora 2007 . FIGURE 3

Basionym: Cordyceps pseudolloydii H.C. Evans & Samson, Trans. Br. mycol. Soc. 82(1): 133 (1984)

Index Fungorum number: IF 504324; Facesoffungi number: FoF 02828

Parasitism in adult ant ( Formicidae : Dolichoderinae), thallus, white to yellow, covered with white dense mycelium, attached to head and forming conspicuous, particularly at site attached to substratum, greyish yellow to light yellow. Thallus within host white, composed of intercalary hyphal bodies, covered with yellowish mycelium. Stromata mostly single, stipitate, arising from dorsal neck region of the ant, capitate. Stipe 2–4 mm long, 0.5–1.2 mm wide, clavate, with a fertile apex, becoming golden yellow to brownish yellow. Fertile head 1–2 mm wide, 0.5–2 mm diam, hemispherical or oblate globoid, sometimes slightly flattened, light orange to yellow, upper surface roughened, lateral surface, ridged and furrowed. Ascomata 374–455 × 125–182 μm (= 414 × 154 μm, n = 30), immersered, flask-shaped, thick-walled, ostiole prominent. Peridium 16–28 mm wide. Asci 251–314 × 7–10 μm (= 283 × 8.7 μm, n = 60), 8-spored, hyaline, narrow cylindrical, with a thickened apex. Apical cap 7.3–9.7 μm (= 8.5 μm, n = 60) thick. Ascospores filiform, as long as asci, hyaline, multiseptate into secondary ascospores. Secondary ascospores 4.5–6.3 × 1–2.5 μm (= 5.4 × 1.8 μm, n = 150), cylindrical, hyaline, smooth.

Culture characters: growing on PDA, reaching 7 cm diam., after 3 weeks at 20–25 °C, with whitened, dense, aerial mycelium on the surface, irregular at the edge, reverse dark brown to white at the edge, with folded ridge in the central.

Material examined: THAILAND, Chiang Rai. On dead ant ( Formicidae : Dolichoderinae), 10 February 2015, Yuan-Pin Xiao, ( MFLU 16–2914 (reference specimen designated here), MFLU 16–2915 , MFLU 16–2916 , MFLU 16–2917 ) ; ibid ; living culture, MFLUCC 15–0689 , MFLUCC 15–0690 .

Figures

FIGURE 2 Ophiocordyceps thanathonensis (MFLU 16–2908, holotype). a Habitat of Ophiocordyceps thanathonensis. b Ascostroma emerging from infected ants. c, d Overview of host. e Fertile head of ascostroma. f Vertical section of the stroma. g, h Ascomata. i Peridium. j–l Immature to mature asci. m Apical cap of asci. n Parts of ascospores. o–q Secondary ascospore. Scale Bars: d–f = 1000 μm, g = 500 μm, h = 200 μm, i–l = 100 μm, m = 10 μm, n = 20 μm, o–q = 5 μm.

FIGURE 3 Ophiocordyceps pseudolloydii (MFLU 16–2914, reference specimen). a Habitat of Ophiocordyceps pseudolloydii. b Ascostroma emerging from infected ant host. c Fertile head of ascostroma. d Vertical sections showing the completely embedded obliquely aligned perithecia. e Perithecia. f Peridium. g–i Immature to mature asci. j Asci in Indian ink. k Apical cap of ascus. l, m Secondary ascospore. n, o Culture on PDA medium, obverse and reverse view. Scale Bars: b, d–f = 1000 μm, c = 200 μm, g–j = 500 μm, k = 100 μm, l = 20 μm, m = 10 μm, n, o = 20 mm.