Tuber rugosum, a new species from northeastern North America: Slug mycophagy aides in electron microscopy of ascospores

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ABSTRACT Species in the genus Tuber are ascomycetous fungi that produce hypogeous fruiting bodies commonly called truffles. These fungi are ecologically relevant owing to the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis they establish with plants. One of the most speciose lineages within Tuber is the Rufum clade, which is widely distributed throughout Asia, Europe, and North America and is estimated to include more than 43 species. Most species in this clade have spiny spores, and many still have not been formally described. Here, we describe T. rugosum based on multigene phylogenetic analysis and its unique morphological characters. Tuber rugosum (previously designated in literature as Tuber sp. 69) has been collected throughout the Midwest, USA, and Quebec, Canada, and is an ectomycorrhizal symbiont of Quercus trees, as confirmed through morphological and molecular analyses of root tips presented here. We also present a novel method for preparing Tuber ascospores for scanning electron microscope imaging that includes feeding, digestion, and spore excretion by the slug Arion subfuscus. Following this method, spores become free from ascus and other mycelial debris that could obscure morphological traits during their passage through the snail gut while maintaining ornamentation. Finally, we report the fatty acid analysis, a fungicolous species association, and we provide an updated taxonomic key of the Rufum clade.