Ophiocordyceps termiticola Tasanathai, Noisripoom & Luangsa-ard

Tasanathai, Kanoksri, Noisripoom, Wasana, Chaitika, Thanyarat, Khonsanit, Artit, Hasin, Sasitorn & Luangsa-ard, Jennifer, 2019, Phylogenetic and morphological classification of Ophiocordyceps species on termites from Thailand, MycoKeys 56, pp. 101-129 : 101

Ophiocordyceps termiticola Tasanathai, Noisripoom & Luangsa-ard sp. nov. Figure 8

Typification.

THAILAND. Kanchanaburi Province, Khao Laem National Park; 14°746'N, 98°625'E; on termite; 20 June 1995; N.L. Hywel-Jones, R. Nasit, S. Sivichai (holotype BBH5634 dried culture; ex-type living culture, BCC 1920). GenBank: ITS = MH754724, LSU = MH753678, TEF = MK284265, RPB1 = MK214108, RPB2 = MK214094

Etymology.

' termiticola ' referring to the host family, Termitidae .

Description.

Stroma solitary, simple, filiform, up to 14 cm long, 1 mm wide, yellow-brown, ca. 6 cm emerging above the leaf litter, ca. 8 cm buried in the soil. Asexual state ( Hymenostilbe -like) produced ca. 1 cm at the terminal part of the stroma, grey. Perithecia pseudo-immersed, globose to subglobose, produced on one-third of the terminal part of the stroma ending near the apex, (200 –)225–261(– 280) × (150 –)178–229(– 250) µm. Asci 8-spored, filiform, (62.5 –)76.5–100.5(– 110) × (4 –)4.5–5.5(– 6) µm. Ascospores whole, filiform, 85 × 2 µm, Asexual state Hymenostilbe -like, conidiogenous cells formed a compact hymenium-like layer and had from two to four denticles at their apices, cylindrical to clavate, (10 –)11.5–16(– 17) × 3 –5(– 6) µm. Conidia, hyaline, fusiform 7 × 3 µm.

Culture characteristics.

Colonies on PDA, attaining a diam. of 28 mm within 20 d at 25 °C, grey (oac781) to pale grey (oac851). Conidiogenous cells monophialidic to polyphialidic, arising from hyphae laterally, with an inflated base (7 –)7.5–10(– 11) × (2.5-) 3 –3.5(– 4) µm. Conidia hyaline, globose, 2.5-3 (-3.5) µm, one-celled with warty surface.

Colonies on PSA, attaining a diam. of 22 mm within 20 d at 25 °C, white to pale grey, cotton-like. Conidiogenous cells monophialidic to polyphialidic, hyaline, smooth, with an inflated base (7 –)8–10.5(– 13) × 3-4 (-5) µm. Conidia hyaline, globose, (2 –)2.7–3.4(– 4) µm, one celled with warty surface.

Colonies on SDYA/4, attaining a diam. of 29 mm within 20 d at 25 °C, grey to pale grey (oac851). Conidiogenous cells monophialidic to polyphialidic, hyaline, smooth, with an inflated base (7 –)8–10.5(– 13) × 3-4 µm. Conidia hyaline, globose, 3 –3.5(– 4) µm, one-celled with warty surface.

Distribution.

Thailand.

Ecology.

Parasitic on a pair of termites from a reproductive caste (Order Isoptera : Family Termitidae , Subfamily Macrotermitinae) and these specimens were buried in the soil. The fungus emerged from the segment between the prothorax and mesothorax of one of the termite pairs.

Additional specimens examined.

THAILAND. Chanthaburi Province, Khao Soi Dao Wildlife Reserve; 13°136'N, 102°218'E; on termite; 20 June 1996; R. Nasit, S. Sivichai, K. Tasanathai (BBH5179, BCC1770).

Notes.

Both O. termiticola and O. khokpasiensis produce pseudo-immersed reddish perithecia on a stroma. In O. termiticola , the perithecia are tightly packed, while in O. khokpasiensis , they are loosely aggregated and the length of the anamorphic layer at the end of the fertile part is longer in the latter.

Figures

Figure 8. Ophiocordyceps termiticola (BBH 5634, BCC 1920) A stroma of fungus emerging from termite B part of stroma showing perithecia C perithecia D ascus E ascospore F phialides with conidia on synnema G conidium H colony on PDA at 20 d obverse and reverse I phialides with conidia on PDA J conidium K-O scanning electron micrographs of phialides with conidia on PDA P colony on PSA at 20 d obverse and reverse Q phialides with conidia on PSA R colony on SDYA / 4 at 20 d obverse and reverse S phialides with conidia. Scale bars: 2 cm (A); 1 μm (B, K, O); 100 μm (C); 15 μm (D); 8 μm (E); 5 μm (F, G); 7 mm (H, P, R); 3 μm (I, J, L, M, N, Q, S).