Hevansia novoguineensis (Samson & B.L. Brady) Luangsa-ard, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora

Mongkolsamrit, Suchada, Noisripoom, Wasana, Tasanathai, Kanoksri, Kobmoo, Noppol, Thanakitpipattana, Donnaya, Khonsanit, Artit, Petcharad, Booppa, Sakolrak, Baramee & Himaman, Winanda, 2022, Comprehensive treatise of Hevansia and three new genera Jenniferia, Parahevansia and Polystromomyces on spiders in Cordycipitaceae from Thailand, MycoKeys 91, pp. 113-149 : 113

Hevansia novoguineensis (Samson & B.L. Brady) Luangsa-ard, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora

Fig. 3

Remark.

The description below is based on natural specimens collected in Thailand.

Description.

Spider hosts covered by light yellow to pale yellow (158A-B) mycelium. Sexual morph: Stromata stipitate, solitary or multiple. Stipes cylindrical, arising from the dorsal region of the host, white to pale yellow, 3-5 mm long, 0.5-1 mm broad. Fertile heads produce at the terminal of stipes, disc-shaped, upper surface slightly convex, 1-3 × 1-2 mm. Perithecia completely immersed, narrowly ovoid, 500-750 × 200-300 µm, ostioles strong orange yellow (163B). Asci cylindrical, 8-spored, 350-450 µm long, 5-7 µm broad, with cap 3-5 µm thick. Ascospores hyaline, filiform, whole ascospores, 400-460 × 1-1.5 µm. Asexual morph: Synnemata multiple, cylindrical, occasionally acuminate apex, white, up to 8 mm long, 50-200 µm broad. Conidiogenous cells phialidic, scattered along with the synnemata. Phialides solitary, globose to subglobose, arising from the mycelium, (4)5-5.5(6) × (4)5-5.5(6) µm, with distinct necks, 0.5-1.5 × 0.5-1 µm. Conidia hyaline, fusoid or fusiform-elliptical, (2)6-8(10) × 1-2(2.5) µm.

Culture characteristics.

Colonies on OA attaining a diam. of 18-20 mm in 21 days, cottony with high mycelium density in the middle of colonies, mycelium with low density around the margin of colonies, flattened, white, reverse deep pink (180D). Sparse synnemata with conidiogenous cells producing conidia observed after 30 days, white, on the edge of a colonies. Phialides solitary, globose to subglobose, (4)5.5-6.5(7) × 3.5-5(5.5) µm, distinct necks, 1-3 × 0.5-1 µm. Conidia hyaline, fusoid, fusiform-elliptical, (2)6-10(13) × 1-3 µm.

Colonies on PDA attaining a diam. of 7-9(10) mm in 21 days, cottony with high mycelium density, white, moderate purplish-red to dark purplish-pink (186B-C) pigment diffusing in the medium, reverse moderate red (180 A-B). Sporulation observed after 30 days with absence of synnemata. Phialides arising from aerial hyphae, solitary, mostly globose to subglobose, occasionally cylindrical, (4)5.5-11.5(15) × 2-3.5(5) µm, distinct necks, 0.5-2 × 0.5-1 µm. Conidia hyaline, fusoid, fusiform-elliptical, cylindrical, (2)6-9.5(11) × 1-3 µm.

Host.

Spiders ( Araneae, Theridiidae ).

Habitat.

Specimens were found on the underside of dicot leaves of forest plants.

Materials examined.

Thailand, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Khao Yai National Park , 14°26'20.72"N, 101°22'20.02"E, on spider (Web builder, Araneae) attached to the underside of a dicot leaf of forest plants, 10 June 2010, K. Tasanathai, P. Srikitikulchai, S. Mongkolsamrit, R. Ridkaew, MY6026.01 ( BBH 32171, BCC 42675 ) isolated from ascospores ; idem, 6 April 2010, K. Tasanathai, S. Mongkolsamrit, T. Chohmee, A. Khonsanit, R. Ridkaew, MY6988.01 ( BBH 31299, BCC 49323 ) isolated from conidia ; Kamphaeng Phet, Khlong Lan National Park , 16°7'46.84"N, 99°16'53.11"E, on spider (Web builder, Araneae, Theridiidae ) attached to the underside of a dicot leaf of forest plants, 6 November 2007, K. Tasanathai, S. Mongkolsamrit, P. Srikitikulchai, B. Thongnuch, R. Ridkaew, A. Khonsanit, W. Chaygate, MY2770 ( BBH 22744, BCC 28581 ), MY2771 ( BBH 22745, BCC 28582 ), MY2775 ( BBH 22747, BBC 28585 ) .

Notes.

Hevansia novoguineensis is morphologically similar to H. nelumboides , both species producing fertile heads at the terminal end of stipes. The perithecia are completely immersed. However, H. novoguineensis differs from H. nelumboides in producing whole ascospores. Hevansia nelumboides produces multiseptated ascospores disarticulating into part-spores ( Kobayasi and Shimizu 1977; Shimizu 1994). Based on natural specimens, the conidia from Thai specimens are shorter than those reported for specimens from Papua New Guinea (2-10 × 1-2.5 µm vs. 10.5-17.5 × 1.5-3 µm) ( Samson and Brady 1982). In addition, there are other species producing the fertile heads at the terminal end of stipes infecting ants ( Hymenoptera), for example, Ophiocordyceps binata (H.C. Evans & Samson) J.P.M. Araújo, H.C. Evans & D.P. Hughes, O. pseudolloydii (H.C. Evans & Samson) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora and O. lloydii (H.S. Fawc.) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora ( Araújo et al. 2020). Ophiocordyceps binata is most similar to H. novoguineensis by producing disc-shaped fertile heads, while fertile heads in O. pseudolloydii and O. lloydii are subglobose.

Figures

Figure 3. Hevansia novoguineensis a fungus on a spider (BBH 32171) b perithecium c asci d ascus tip e filiform, whole ascospore f fungus on a spider (BBH 31299) g-i phialides with conidia on synnema j, k colonies on OA at 21 days (j obverse, k reverse) l-n phialides with conidia on OA o, p colonies on PDA at 21 days with purplish-red pigment diffusing in agar medium (o obverse, p reverse) q-s phialides with conidia on PDA. Scale bars: 5 mm (a, f); 200 µm (b); 100 µm (c, e); 10 µm (d, g-i, l-n, q, r, s).