Phylogenetic and morphological classification of Ophiocordyceps species on termites from Thailand.

Kanoksri Tasanathai,Artit Khonsanit,Wasana Noisripoom,Thanyarat Chaitika,Jennifer Luangsa-ard,Sasitorn Hasin

doi:10.3897/mycokeys.56.37636

Abstract

Seven new species occurring on termites are added to Ophiocordyceps – O. asiatica, O. brunneirubra, O. khokpasiensis, O. mosingtoensis, O. pseudocommunis, O. pseudorhizoidea and O. termiticola, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. O. brunneirubra possesses orange to reddish-brown immersed perithecia on cylindrical to clavate stromata. O. khokpasiensis, O. mosingtoensis and O. termiticola have pseudo-immersed perithecia while O. asiatica, O. pseudocommunis and O. pseudorhizoidea all possess superficial perithecia, reminiscent of O. communis and O. rhizoidea. Phylogenetic analyses based on a combined dataset comprising the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the largest subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal DNA, partial regions of the elongation factor 1-α (TEF) and the largest and second largest subunits for the RNA polymerase genes (RPB1, RPB2) strongly support the placement of these seven new species in Ophiocordyceps.

Highlights

The entomopathogenic genus Ophiocordyceps was established by Petch in 1931
The combined dataset of five genes consisted of 4013 bp (ITS 527 bp, largest subunit (LSU) 824 bp, the elongation factor 1-α (TEF) 901 bp, RPB1 874 bp, RPB2 854 bp) and 99 taxa were analysed
Out of the 230+ species of Ophiocordyceps worldwide, less than 10 species occur on termites

Summary

Introduction

The entomopathogenic genus Ophiocordyceps was established by Petch in 1931. His description was based on four specimens including O. blattae Petch, the type species, occurring on a cockroach collected from Sri Lanka, O. unilateralis The entomopathogenic genus Ophiocordyceps was established by Petch in 1931 His description was based on four specimens including O. blattae Petch, the type species, occurring on a cockroach collected from Sri Lanka, O. unilateralis Sung et al (2007) emended the definition of Ophiocordyceps to contain the anamorphic genera Hirsutella Pat., Hymenostilbe Petch, Paraisaria Samson & Brady and Syngliocladium Petch, with the stromata or subiculum of the teleomorphs mostly darkly pigmented [e.g. O_acicularis (Ravenel) Petch, O. heteropoda (Kobayasi) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora, O. entomorrhiza (Dicks.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora, O. unilateralis species complex] and sometimes brightly coloured [e.g. O_irangiensis (Moureau) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora, O. nutans (Pat.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora, O. sphecocephala (Klotzsch ex Berk.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora]. Most Asian species of Ophiocordyceps have fibrous, hard and pliant to wiry, dark coloured stromata with superficial to immersed perithecia (Kobayasi 1941; Kobmoo et al 2012, 2015; Luangsa-ard et al 2018)

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Conclusion