Pleurodesmospora lepidopterorum W.H. Chen, Y.F. Han & Z.Q. Liang, 2021

Chen, Wan-Hao, Han, Yan-Feng, Liang, Jian-Dong, Tian, Wei-Yi & Liang, Zong-Qi, 2021, Multi-gene phylogenetic evidence indicates that Pleurodesmospora belongs in Cordycipitaceae (Hypocreales, Hypocreomycetidae) and Pleurodesmospora lepidopterorum sp. nov. on pupa from China, MycoKeys 80, pp. 45-55 : 45

Pleurodesmospora lepidopterorum W.H. Chen, Y.F. Han & Z.Q. Liang sp. nov. Figure 3

Diagnosis.

Differs from P. coccorum by having longer conidiogenous pegs located in the terminal or lateral conidiophores, and smaller subglobose or ellipsoidal conidia.

Type.

China, Guizhou Province, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Duyun City (26°21'24.71"N, 107°22'48.22"E), 1 October 2019, Wanhao Chen, holotype GZAC DY1050, ex-type culture GZAC DY10501. Sequences from isolated strain DY10501 have been deposited in GenBank with accession numbers: ITS = MW826576 , RPB1 = MW834315 , RPB2 = MW834316 and TEF = MW834317 .

Description.

Colonies on PDA, 3.9-4.1 cm diam. in 14 d at 25 °C, white, consisting of a basal felt and cottony, floccose hyphal overgrowth, reverse pale yellowish. Prostrate hyphae smooth, septate, hyaline, 1.3-1.9 μm diam. Erect or procumbent conidiophores usually arising from aerial hyphae, barely differentiated from vegetative hyphae, usually branched. Conidiogenous cells polyphialidic, terminal and intercalary, bearing numerous short-cylindrical, 1.8-3.5 μm long and 0.7-1.3 μm wide conidiogenous pegs, in whorls often below the septa. The terminal or lateral conidiogenous cells cylindrical, 5.9-12.0 × 1.8-2.2 μm. Conidia in chains, hyaline, smooth-walled, subglobose or ellipsoidal, one-celled, 2.3-3.6 × 1.7-3.3 μm. Chlamydospores and synnemata not observed. Size and shape of phialides and conidia similar in culture on PDA, OA agar and on natural substrate. Sexual state not observed.

Host.

Pupa, order Lepidoptera .

Distribution.

Duyun City, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, China.

Etymology.

Referring to its insect host, which belongs to order Lepidoptera .

Remarks.

Pleurodesmospora lepidopterorum was readily identified as belonging to Pleurodesmospora in the family-level phylogenetic tree (Fig. 2 ). When compared with the typical characteristics of P. coccorum , P. lepidopterorum was easily distinguished by its longer conidiogenous pegs located in the terminal or lateral conidiophores, and smaller subglobose or ellipsoidal conidia.

Figures

Figure 2. Phylogenetic relationships among Pleurodesmospora and related genera in the family Cordycipitaceae based on a multigene dataset (ITS, RPB 1, RPB 2 and TEF). Statistical support values (≥ 50 % / 0.5) are shown at the nodes for maximum likelihood bootstrap support / Bayesian inference posterior probabilities.

Figure 3. Pleurodesmospora lepidopterorum A infected pupa (Lepidoptera) B, C top (B) and underside (C) of a colony cultured on PDA medium at 14 d D-J conidiogenous pegs and conidia K conidia in chains. Scale bars: 10 mm (B, C) 10 μm (D-K).