Papiliomyces albostromaticus Hong Yu bis, Y. Chen and T. Sun

Chen, Yue, Sun, Tao, Tang, De-Xiang, Liu, Zuo-Heng, Ma, Jin-Mei, Ma, Shao-Bin & Yu, Hong, 2024, Morphology and Phylogeny Reveal A New Species Of Papiliomyces (Clavicipiteae, Hypocreales) From Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 644 (2), pp. 135-144 : 141

Papiliomyces albostromaticus Hong Yu bis, Y. Chen and T. Sun , sp. nov. ( Figure 2 )

MycoBank: MB 850865

Etymology: The epithet ‘ albastromata ’ refers to white stromata this species.

Holotype: China, Yunnan Province, Qujing City, Zhanyi District, Deze Village (26.04°N, 103.58°E), alt. 1912 m, on the larvae of Hepialidae in soil, July 31, 2023, Hong Yu, (holotype: YHH 2307002 ; ex-type living culture: YFCC 23079297 ).

Sexual morph: Stromata arising from the head of the Hepialidae larva buried in soil, clavate, white, most of which were solitary, very few of which were multiple, and some branched at the middle or tip, 37.0–58.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm. Fertile part was cylindrical, black to greyish white, with a clear boundary with the stem, and no infertility tip, 6.5–7.4 × 1.5–2.8 (x =6.6±0.3 × 2.0±0.5)mm. Perithecia completely immersed, long ovoid or teardrop, 236.9–365.6 × 76.8– 122.7 (x =297.8±25.3 × 95.5±10.8)µm. Asci eight-spored, hyaline, cylindrical. Apical cap prominent, hemispherical, separated in the middle.

Asexual morph: Colonies on PDA moderately fast-growing, reaching 10.6–12.0 mm diam in 14 days at 25 ℃, cottony, with high mycelial density at the centrum, white, reverse yellowish brown. Conidiophores produce from aerial hyphae, cylindrical, wall smooth, solitary or absent. Phialides were expanded at the base, gradually tapering at the top, ampoule shaped, smooth wall, most of them were solitary, and a few were whorled or solitary from the top of the conidiophores, with a length of 9.8–24.3 (x =16.2±3.6)µm, a width of 1.5–3.1 (x =2.3±0.4)µm at the base and a width of 0.5–1.0 (x =0.8±0.1)µm at the top. Conidia were hyaline, smooth surface, ellipse or oval, 3.2–4.5 × 2.7–4.1 (x =3.3±0.3 × 2.8±0.4)µm.

Host: On larvae of a bat moth ( Lepidoptera , Hepialidae ).

Habitat: living in soil.

Distribution: Deze Village, Zhanyi District, Qujing City, Yunnan Province, China.

Additional specimens examined: China, Yunnan Province, Qujing City, Zhanyi District, Village (26.04°N, 103.58°E), alt. 1912.0 meter, on the larvae of Hepialidae in soil, July 31, 2023, Hong Yu, (YHH 2307003).

Notes: Six-locus phylogenetic analyses showed that Papiliomyces albostromaticus belonged to the Papiliomyces clade and was closest to P. shibinensis . The formation of stromata on the head of the host was a common feature of both species. However, the stromata color of its two sister taxa were quite different, P. shibinensis being white to faint yellow, and P. albostromaticus being white to greyish white. In addition, significant differences in size were observed between P. albostromaticus and other closely related species. The distinctiveness of P. albostromaticus was indicated by that its fertile part size (6.5–7.4 × 1.5–2.8 mm) was shorter than P. shibinensis (18.0–22.0 × 2.0–3.0 mm) and P. longiclavatus (15.0–21.0 × 4.0–6.0 mm). The perithecia of P. albostromaticus (236.9–365.6 × 76.8–122.7 µm) was more slender than P. shibinensis (630.0–830.0 × 240.0–340.0 μm) and P. longiclavatus (320.0–580.0×110.0–230.0 μm). The phalides of P. albostromaticus (9.8–24.3 × 1.5–3.1/0.5–1.0 µm) were shorter than those of P. shibinensis (7.6––37.5 × 1.3–3.2 µm) and P. longiclavatus (12.6–23.8 × 1.4–2.4 μm; 28.2–44.5 × 1.2–1.8 µm), but longer than those of P. puniceum (7.8–16.5 × 1.1–1.8 µm) ( Table 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Papiliomyces albostromaticus (Holotype: YHH 2307002). a. Overview of the host and stroma; b. Stroma; c, d. Fertile part; e, f. Perithecia; g, h. Asci; i. Colonies obverse in PDA at 25 °C; j. Colonies reverse on PDA at 25 °C; k–n. Condiophores and phialides; o–q.Conidia. Scale bars: a = 2cm, b = 0.5cm, c = 3mm, d = 0.5mm, e =200μm, f = 100μm, g, h = 50μm, i, j = 3cm, k–n = 20μm, o = 10μm, p = 5μm, q = 10μm.