Cordyceps changbaiensis J.J. Hu, Bo Zhang & Y. Li, 2021

Hu, Jia-Jun, Zhao, Gui-Ping, Tuo, Yong-Lan, Dai, Dan, Guo, Di-Zhe, Rao, Gu, Qi, Zheng-Xiang, Zhang, Zhen-Hao, Li, Yu & Zhang, Bo, 2021, Morphology and molecular study of three new Cordycipitoid fungi and its related species collected from Jilin Province, northeast China, MycoKeys 83, pp. 161-180 : 161

Cordyceps changbaiensis J.J. Hu, Bo Zhang & Y. Li sp. nov.

Figs 5 , 6

Holotype.

China. Jilin Province, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Antu County, Changbai Mountain, 42.19°N, 128.18°E, 4 September 2019, Jia-Jun Hu & Bo Zhang (HMJAU 48255, holotype, GenBank Acc. nos.: ITS = MW893252, LSU = MW893277, EF-1α = MZ616772).

Etymology.

Cordyceps changbaiensis : referring to Mt. Changbai, the location of the holotype.

Diagnosis.

The species is characterised by orange to white and branched stromata, globose to ovoid perithecia and larger part-spores (3.0-7.0 × 1.0-1.4 μm).

Description.

Sexual Morph. Stromata 2.4-5.2 cm long, single or multiple, solitary, arising from the head of the host insect covered with white mycelia. Fertile apical portion, orange, clavate to cylindrical, 0.6-1.5 cm long and 0.2-0.6 cm wide, obviously distinguishable from the stipe. Sterile stipe fleshy, white to light yellow, cylindrical, 1.8-3.7 cm long and 0.2-0.5 cm wide. Perithecia immersed to the surface of the fruiting body, globose to ovoid, 120-230 × 90-170 μm, with a thick wall about 15 μm. Asci cylindrical, 225-625 × 4-5 μm, 8-spored, apex of ascus hemispherical, 3.0-4.0 × 2.2-3.2 μm. Part-spores oblong, 3.0-7.0 × 1.0-1.4 μm, smooth, hyaline in 3% KOH, thin-walled, inamyloid.

Asexual Morph. Unknown.

Host.

Growing on larvae of Lepidoptera .

Distribution.

China (Jilin Province).

Other specimen examined.

China. Jilin Province: Baishan City, Fusong County, Quanyang Town, 42.30°N, 127.29°E, 22 August 2021, Jia-Jun Hu, Bo Zhang & Gui-Ping Zhao (HMJAU 482260, isotype, GenBank Acc. nos.: ITS = MW893270, LSU = MW893272, EF-1α = MZ616774)

Note.

C. changbaiensis has orange to white and branched stromata. Morphologically, C. roseostromata Kobayasi & Shimizu is similar to C. changbaiensis due to the single or branched stromata. C. kyushuensis A. Kawam. is also close to C. changbaiensis because of the host and the stromata being similar in colour. However, both C. roseostromata and C. kyushuensis have a larger perithecia and smaller part-spores. Furthermore, the stromata of C. kyushuensis is gregarious or fascicled and grows from the head or abdomen of the host ( Li et al. 2015); C. roseostromata has pyriform perithecia and host on larva of Coleoptera ( Kobayasi 1983). In the phylogenetic analysis, C. changbaiensis was placed in separate monophyletic lineages (BPP = 0.95, MLBS = 97%) and formed a sister relationship with C. rosea .

Figures

Figure 5. Morphological characters of Cordyceps changbaiensis (HMJAU 48255, holotype) a stromata and host of Cordyceps changbaiensis b host of Cordyceps changbaiensis c, d surface of fertile apex of ascostroma e-h ascus i-k apex of ascus l-m part-spores. Scale bars: 1 cm (a); 5 mm (b-c); 200 μm (d); 20 μm (e-h); 10 μm (i-k); 5 μm (l-m).

Figure 6. Microscopical characters of Cordyceps changbaiensis (HMJAU 48255, holotype) a perithecia b apex of ascus c part-spores. Scale bars: 100 μm (a); 5 μm (b, c).