Abstract
The genus Beauveria is considered a cosmopolitan anamorphic and teleomorphic genus of soilborne necrotrophic arthropod-pathogenic fungi that includes ecologically and economically important species. Species identification in Beauveria is difficult because of its structural simplicity and the lack of distinctive phenotypic variation. Therefore, the use of multi-locus sequence data is essential to establish robust species boundaries in addition to DNA-based species delimitation methods using genetic distance, coalescent, and genealogical concordance approaches (polyphasic approaches). In this regard, our study used multilocus phylogeny and five DNA-based methods to delimit species in Beauveria using three molecular makers. These polyphasic analyses allowed for the delimitation of 20–28 species in Beauveria, confirming cryptic diversity in five species (i.e. B. amorpha, B. bassiana, B. diapheromeriphila, and B. pseudobassiana) and supporting the description of B. peruviensis as a new taxon from northeastern Peru. The other five species were not evaluated as they did not have enough data (i.e. B. araneola, B. gryllotalpidicola, B. loeiensis, B. medogensis, and B. rudraprayagi). Our results demonstrate that the congruence among different methods in a polyphasic approach (e.g. genetic distance and coalescence methods) is more likely to show reliably supported species boundaries. Among the methods applied in this study, genetic distance, coalescent approaches, and multilocus phylogeny are crucial when establishing species boundaries in Beauveria.
Highlights
Around 1800, a silkworm disease called “calcine”, “real del segno” or “muscardine” was causing great trouble in Italy and France (Redaelli and Visocchi 1940)
Accurate species identification within the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria is crucial for disease control and prevention (Lu et al 2016)
This genus has recently been circumscribed, and its taxonomy has been updated with new combinations and the description of new species based mainly on multi-locus phylogenies in the absence of diagnostic features that delimit species (Sanjuan et al 2014, Shrestha et al 2014, Kepler et al 2017, Chen et al 2017, 2018)
Summary
Around 1800, a silkworm disease called “calcine”, “real del segno” or “muscardine” was causing great trouble in Italy and France (Redaelli and Visocchi 1940). Balsamo (1835) confirmed this discovery and concluded that the incrustation and white efflorescence, which covered the body of a dead silkworm, were a fungus of the genus Botrytis. Experiments developed by Agostino Bassi in Mariago, Italy showed that a parasitic fungus produced this disease (Redaelli and Visocchi 1940). He first named this species Botrytis paradoxa Balsamo and later Botrytis bassiana Balsamo (Balsamo 1835). The sexual morphs form stromata solitary, paired or gregarious, unbranched, fleshy texture, fertile area apical, cylindrical to clavate, yellowish to orange; perithecia partially immersed, in longitudinal section oval to ovoid; and asci hyaline with cylindrical and filiform ascospores (Kepler et al 2017)
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