Polycephalomyces yunnanensis H. Yu, Y.B. Wang & Y.D. Dai, 2015

Wang, Yuan-Bing, Yu, Hong, Dai, Yong-Dong, Chen, Zi-Hong, Zeng, Wen-Bo, Yuan, Feng & Liang, Zong-Qi, 2015, Polycephalomyces yunnanensis (Hypocreales), a new species of Polycephalomyces parasitizing Ophiocordyceps nutans and stink bugs (hemipteran adults), Phytotaxa 208 (1), pp. 34-44 : 39-41

Polycephalomyces yunnanensis H. Yu, Y.B. Wang & Y.D. Dai , sp. nov. ( Fig. 3 ) MycoBank MB807592

Synnemata arising from the stromata of Ophiocordyceps nutans or the total stink bug corpses; unbranched, solitary or alternating on the stalk of O. nutans ; caespitose or crowded on the fertile part of O. nutans . Stipes of the synnemata tomentose, clavate or spatulate, unbranched or rarely branched, straight or sinuous, 0.7–14 mm (X = 5.6) long, 49– 1230 μm (X = 375) wide. Terminal portion of a synnema covered by a viscous mass, clavate, subulate or capitate; white, cream-coloured, and orange-brown when old, 190–1500 × 118–1400 μm (X = 390 × 359).

Colonies on PDA 12–23 mm (X = 17) in diameter after 10 days at 25 °C, effuse or stellate, usually verrucose, white to orange-yellow, turning to brown or pink. Reverse appearing vague concentric rings, black-brown in the centre, maple-colored at the edge. Hyphae hyaline, septate, branched, smooth-walled, occasionally verrucose, 0.8–4.5 μm (X = 2.7) wide. Synnemata emerging after 15 d, caespitose or crowded, spatulate or clavate, branched at the centre of the colony; solitary, clavate, unbranched or branched from the edge, with a circular distribution. The central synnemata 2–12 mm (X = 6.3) long, while 6.4–37 mm (X = 15.8) long at the edge, white at first, browning with age. Conidial mass forming a continuous head over the apex of the synnema, cream to light yellow, finally caramel brown. Phialides of two types, α- phialides developing from the edge of the colony and conidial mass of the synnema; β - phialides arising from the stipe, conidial mass, and surface mycelium of the colony. These two types of phialides often produce catenate conidia. α- phialides on short conidiophores with a basal verticillate branch and 1-4 levels of acropleurogenous phialides, cylindrical to subulate at the base, or occurring directly on the aerial hyphae; monothetic, alternate or whorled, 20.1–57.8 μm (X = 33.2) in length, tapering gradually from 1.0–2.3 μm (X = 1.6) at the base to 0.5–1.3 μm (X = 0.9) at the apex, generating the single or catenulate conidia. β- phialides on conidiophores or hyphae, acropleurogenous, solitary, opposite or alternate, in whorls of 3-5, with swollen bases; narrowly lageniform or subulate, terminal phialides tapering abruptly, 7.1–30.6 μm (X = 13.2) long, 2.3–3.7 μm (X = 2.9) wide at the base, and 0.5–1.1 μm (X = 0.7) wide at the apex. Two types of conidia one-celled, hyaline and smooth-walled. α- conidia subglobose or ellipsoidal 1.4–2.5 × 1.2–2.2 μm (X = 2.0 × 1.7), produced by viscous matrix in the central area of the colony and conidial mass at the apex of the synnema. β- conidia fusiform 2.8–5.7 × 1.1–2.7 μm (X = 4.2 × 1.8), produced by phialides on the stipe of the synnema and surface mycelium of the colony; single or in chains on phialides, sometimes 3–12 conidia formed an irregular spore ball at the apex of a phialide.

Holotype:— CHINA. Yunnan Province: Kunming, the Wild Duck Lake Forest Park, alt. 2100 m, on the stroma of Ophiocordyceps nutans on the ground, 28 July 2010, Hong Yu (YHH PY1006 holotype).

Sexual state: —Unknown.

Host: —Entomogenous fungi Ophiocordyceps nutans ( Ophiocordycipitaceae ) and stink bugs (hemipteran adults).

Type Locality: —The Wild Duck Lake Forest Park, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.

Etymology: — yunnanensis , referring to the location where the type specimen was collected.

Other material examined: — CHINA. Yunnan Province: Kunming, the Wild Duck Lake Forest Park, alt. 2100 m, associated with the stink bug on the ground, 28 July 2010, Hong Yu, (YHH PY1005 isotype, YFCC PY1005 ≡ CCTCC AF 2014023 ex-isotype living culture) ; CHINA. Yunnan Province: Kunming, the Wild Duck Lake Forest Park, alt. 2100 m, on the stroma of Ophiocordyceps nutans on the ground, 10 July 2010, Hong Yu , (YHH PY1007 isotype, YFCC PY1007 ex-isotype living culture) ; Ibid. 10 August 2011, Hong Yu , (YHH PY1108 isotype, YFCC PY1108 ex-isotype living culture) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Morphology and ecology of Polycephalomyces yunnanensis (a–k). a. Synnemata on the stroma of Ophiocordyceps nutans; b. Synnemata arising from a stink bug corpse; c. Caespitose synnemata with a cream-coloured conidial mass on the fertile part of O. nutans; d. Tomentous stipe and capitate conidial mass; e. A single β-conidia at the apex of a β-phialide; f. Single and catenate β-conidia on β- phialides; g. Several β-conidia formed a spore ball on a β-phialide; h. Verticillate phialides from a conidial mass; i. Catenate β-conidia on a α-phialide; j. α-conidia, k. β-conidia; l. A culture on PDA showing the developing synnemata. Scale bars: a, b, l =1 cm; c = 2 mm; d = 200 μm; i = 10 μm; e, f, g, h, j, k = 5 μm.