Paraisaria insignis (Cooke & Ravenel) Tehan & Spatafora, 2023

Tehan, Richard M., Dooley, Connor B., Barge, Edward G., McPhail, Kerry L. & Spatafora, Joseph W., 2023, New species and new combinations in the genus Paraisaria (Hypocreales, Ophiocordycipitaceae) from the U. S. A., supported by polyphasic analysis, MycoKeys 100, pp. 69-94 : 69

Paraisaria insignis (Cooke & Ravenel) Tehan & Spatafora comb. nov.

Fig. 5

Cordyceps insignis Cooke & Ravenel, Grevillea 12(no. 61): 38 (1883). Basionym.

Ophiocordyceps insignis (Cooke & Ravenel) G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora, Stud. Mycol. 57: 43 (2007). Synonym.

Type.

U.S.A. South Carolina, “seaboard”, 4 January 1881, on larva coleoptera , collected by H. W. Ravenel. (Holotype: Ravenel 3251, K-M 1434269) .

Epitype designated here: U.S.A. Arkansas: Saline County, Avilla , at approximately 34.713, -92.587, elevation: 169 m, 2 April 2021, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil near Quercus sp., collected by Jay Justice (OSC-M-052013, ex-type living culture ARSEF 14611) .

Description.

Stromata capitate, unbranched, growing singly to gregarious, in groups of up to four stromata on a single host. Stromata 20-52.5 mm long. Ascogenous portion brown, globose to oblong, 8-22 mm long × 7-16 mm wide, papillate with ostioles of perithecia. Stipe golden yellow to reddish orange, sometimes furfuraceous toward upper half, 14-25 × 4-9 mm long, attached to hypogeous host by thick mats of fibrous, tangled, yellow to reddish orange rhizomorphs, extending 25-45 mm. Mycelial growth occurring between, and sometimes over, larval segments, forming a thin membrane. Perithecia embedded, obclavate, brown, (520-)640-800(840) × (160-)185-250(-270) µm. Asci hyaline, cylindrical, up to 380 µ long × (3.8-)4.0-5.9(-7.5) µm, possessing abruptly thickened apex. Ascospores hyaline, filiform, smooth, disarticulating into 64 part-spores. Part-spores, cylindrical, 6.3-9.0(-10.5) × 2.5-3.5 µm. Growing on larvae of Prionus cf. imbricornis . ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ).

Culture characteristics.

Colonies on PDA 70 days at 20 °C, 37.5 mm, white, reverse reddish brown to yellow. Mycelium septate, smooth-walled hyaline. No conidial state was observed.

Host.

larvae of Prionus cf. imbricornis . ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera )

Habitat.

Specimens occur on hypogeous larvae of coleoptera typically at the base of oak trees.

Additional materials examined.

U.S.A. Arkansas: Saline County, Avilla , at approximately 34.713, -92.587, elevation: 169 m, 18 March 2018, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil near Quercus sp., collected by Jay Justice (OSC.164134) . U.S.A. Arkansas: Saline County, Avilla , at approximately 34.713, -92.587, elevation: 169 m, 2 April 2018, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil near Quercus sp., collected by Jay Justice (OSC.164135, living culture: ARSEF 14615) . U.S.A. Arkansas: Saline County, Avilla , at approximately 34.713, -92.587, elevation: 169 m, 21 April 2018, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil near Quercus sp., collected by Jay Justice (OSC.164136) . U.S.A. Arkansas: Pulaski County, North Little Rock , at approximately 34.7989, -92.312, elevation: 99 m, 17 April 2018, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil near Quercus sp., and Ulmus sp., collected by Sheila Griffin (OSC.164137) . U.S.A. Missouri: Barry County, Cassville , at approximately 36.6116, -93.6938, elevation: 381 m, 16 April 2019, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil, collected by Aaron Peters (OSC-M-052004) . U.S.A. TEXAS: Harris County, Friendswood , at approximately 29.5501, -95.1972, 19 m, 15 February 2020, on larva of Coleoptera , cf. Prionus imbricornis buried in soil, collected by Brett Jackson (OSC-M-052008) . U.S.A. Mississippi: Otibbeha County, at approximately 33.4576, -88.7859, elevation: 109 m, 29 March 2021, on larva of Coleoptera buried in soil near Quercus sp., collected by Carol Siniscalchi (OSC-M-052014) U.S.A. Arkansas: Saline County, Avilla , at approximately 34.713, -92.587, elevation: 169 m, 21 April 2018, on larva of Prionus imbricornis ( Cerambycidae , Coleoptera ) buried in soil near Quercus sp., collected by Jay Justice (OSC-M-052018, living culture: ARSEF 14617) . U.S.A. Georgia: Greene County, Greensboro , at approximately 33.556, -83.262, elevation 152 m, 25 March 2023, on larva of coleoptera , buried in soil, collected by Patti Chaco (OSC-M-053264) . U.S.A. Georgia: Bibb County, Musella , at approximately 32.8491, -83.8886, elevation 145 m, 2 April 2023, on larva of coleoptera , buried in soil near Quercus phellos , collected by Rose Payne (OSC-M-053265) .

Notes.

Recent collections of this species were initially determined to not match any described species and were given the provisional name Paraisaria tortuosa , which was used in a doctoral dissertation ( Tehan 2022), and in conference presentations. The conspecificity with Ophiocordyceps insignis (= Cordyceps insignis ) was considered but it was difficult to reconcile Cooke’s description of the stroma as "livid purple". However, that species was described from a dried specimen and the true colors of the fresh specimen were evidently not observed by the authority. Petch (1935) cast doubt on the accurate description of the color of C. insignis and though the original host is not able to be precisely identified, Petch’s analysis here is helpful, suggesting based on morphology that the host is one that pupates in wood, which accords with the host of recent collections identified as Prionus imbricornis . Ultimately, chemical comparison of fresh collections to the holotype was definitive in the identification of the fresh collections, and strongly supports the combination into Paraisaria .

Figures

Figure 5. Paraisaria insignis A OSC-M- 052013 Epitype B fertile head C, D cross section of fertile head showing arrangement of perithecia E rhizomorphs F perithecia G ascus H, I asci apices J-L ascospores M part-spores N, O colony on PDA 70 d (N obverse, O reverse).