Simplicillium formicidae W.H. Chen, C. Liu, Y.F. Han, J.D. Liang, Z.Q. Liang

Chen, Wan-Hao, Liu, Chang, Han, Yan-Feng, Liang, Jian-Dong, Tian, Wei-Yi & Liang, Zong-Qi, 2019, Three novel insect-associated species of Simplicillium (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from Southwest China, MycoKeys 58, pp. 83-102 : 83

Simplicillium formicidae W.H. Chen, C. Liu, Y.F. Han, J.D. Liang, Z.Q. Liang sp. nov. Figure 4

Etymology.

The epithet formicidae refers to an insect host in family Formicidae .

Diagnosis.

Characterized by phialides always being solitary and rather long and narrow, 51-70.1 × 0.7-0.9 μm. Conidia adhering in globose slimy heads, mostly filiform to fusoid, 3.9-7.9 × 0.8-1.3 μm. Octahedral crystals absent.

Type.

CHINA, Guizhou Province, Rongjiang County (26°01'58.70"N, 108°24'48.06"E), 1 October 2018, Wanhao Chen, holotype GZAC DL1004, ex-type culture GZAC DL10041. Sequences from isolated strain DL10041 has been deposited in GenBank with accession numbers: ITS = MN006241, LSU = MN006247, RPB1 = MN022269 and RPB2 = MN022267.

Description.

Colonies reaching 26-32 mm in diameter in 14 d on PDA; white; reverse pale brown to brown, and with brown secretions. Hyphae septate, hyaline, smooth-walled, 1.2-1.8 μm wide. Phialides arising from aerial hyphae, gradually tapering towards the apex, without basal septa, always solitary and rather long and narrow, 51-70.1 × 0.7-0.9 μm. Conidia adhering in globose slimy heads, mostly filiform to fusoid, hyaline, smooth-walled, 3.9-7.9 × 0.8-1.3 μm. Octahedral crystals absent.

Host.

Ant ( Hymenoptera )

Distribution.

Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, China

Remarks.

Simplicillium formicidae was easily identified as belonging to Simplicillium because of its solitary phialides, conidia adhering in globose slimy heads, and lack of octahedral crystals. Compared with the typical characteristics of 12 species (Table 2 ), it was easily distinguished from those species by having the phialides always solitary and rather long and narrow (51-70.1 × 0.7-0.9 μm) and the conidia mostly filiform to fusoid (3.9-7.9 × 0.8-1.3 μm), and adhering in globose slimy heads, and in having octahedral crystals absent. Based on ITS and LSU rDNA, S. formicidae is phylogenetically close to S. cicadellidae and S. lepidopterorum . However, S. formicidae has larger filiform to fusoid conidia (3.9-7.9 × 0.8-1.3 μm).

Figures

Figure 4. Simplicillium lepidopterorum A infected carpenterworm (Lepidoptera) B, C culture plate, showing the front (B) and the reverse (C) of the colony, cultured on PDA medium D, E, F phialides solitary and conidia in globose heads D conidia. Scale bars: 10 mm (B, C), 10 μm (D, E, F, G).