Paraneoaraneomyces Zhi.Y. Zhang & Y.F. Han, 2023

Zhang, Zhi-Yuan, Feng, Yao, Tong, Shuo-Qiu, Ding, Chen-Yu, Tao, Gang & Han, Yan-Feng, 2023, Morphological and phylogenetic characterisation of two new soil-borne fungal taxa belonging to Clavicipitaceae (Hypocreales, Ascomycota), MycoKeys 98, pp. 113-132 : 113

Paraneoaraneomyces Zhi.Y. Zhang & Y.F. Han gen. nov.

Etymology.

Based on its close phylogenetic relationship to Neoaraneomyces .

Geographical distribution.

China.

Description.

Saprobic in soil. Sexual morph: not observed. Asexual morph: Hyphae hyaline, smooth, branched, septate. Phialides arising from aerial hyphae or hyphae regimental, solitary, straight to flexuous, tapering with enlarged base, smooth, hyaline. Conidia borne on the apex of the phialides or in small globose heads at the apices of the phialides. Conidia cymbiform to reniform, smooth-walled, one-celled, adhering in globose heads or the apex of phialides.

Type species.

Paraneoaraneomyces sinensis Zhi. Y. Zhang & Y. F. Han.

Notes.

Currently, the family Clavicipitaceae includes 52 genera and more than 500 species ( Hyde et al. 2020; Mongkolsamrit et al. 2020a, 2021; Gao et al. 2021; Chen et al. 2022). Of these genera, no SSU, ITS, LSU, RPB2 and EF1A sequences are available for the genera Cavimalum , Epicrea , Helminthascus , Konradia , Loculistroma , Mycomalus and Neocordyceps , while the sequences for the genera Nigrocornus , Pseudomeria and Romanoa are unverified or lacking (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, accessed on 8 May 2023). Therefore, we could not compare the phylogenetic relationships between these genera and Paraneoaraneomyces . In addition, amongst these genera, Cavimalum , Epicrea , Helminthascus , Konradia , Mycomalus and Sphaerocordyceps no asexual morph has been reported (White et al. 2003; Hyde et al. 2020). We, therefore, have not been able to compare the morphological characteristics between these genera and Paraneoaraneomyces . Phylogenetically, Paraneoaraneomyces sinensis represents a well-supported monophyletic lineage in the family Clavicipitaceae and closely related to Neoaraneomyces (Fig. 1 ). Morphologically, Paraneoaraneomyces can be distinguished from other genera in the family Clavicipitaceae by the cymbiform to reniform conidia adhering to the apex of the phialides or in the form of small globose heads at the apex of the phialides and the phialides were solitary, straight to flexuous and arose from the aerial or regimental hyphae.

Figures

Figure 1. Phylogram based on the Maximum Likelihood (ML) analysis using the SSU, ITS, LSU, RPB 2 and EF 1 A sequences of Clavicipitaceae. The ML bootstrap values (≥ 70 %) and the Bayesian posterior probability values (≥ 0.70) are indicated along the branches (BP / ML). The new taxa are highlighted in bold.