Beauveria majiangensis
Beauveria majiangensis W.H. Chen, M. Liu, Z.X. Huang, G.M. Yang, Y.F. Han, J.D. Liang & Z.Q. Liang, Phytotaxa 333(2): 246 (2018)
Index Fungorum number: IF 823150; Facesoffungi number: FoF 13953
Parasitic on coleopteran larvae. Sexual morph: Stroma 6 cm in high, bright yellow, fleshy, single, stipitate. Fertile part 3.5 cm in length, 7 mm in wide, developing from upper part of stroma, broadest at middle part, slightly tapering toward the apex. Perithecia 530–570 × 250–330 (x̄ = 550 × 300, n = 5) µm, ovoid, superficial, ostiolate. Peridium 20–60 (x̄ = 35, n = 30) µm, composed of hyaline, thick-walled cells of textura angularis. Asci 200–420 × 3.5–5.5 (x̄ = 334 × 4.5, n = 20) µm, filiform, 8-spored, with thickened apex. Ascospores filiform, as long as asci, transversely multiseptate, breaking into secondary ascospore when mature. Secondary ascospores 5–7.5 × 0.7–1.6 (x̄ = 6.2 × 1.2, n = 20) µm, cylindrical, hyaline, aseptate, smooth-walled, with truncated ends. Asexual morph: Colony rapidly growing on PDA media, reaching 3 cm after 5 days, white, velutinous, margin entire, sporulation in vitro. Mycelium 1.4–2.2 (x̄ = 1.7, n = 35) µm in wide, hyaline, septate, branched, smooth-walled. Conidiophores 15–60 × 1.5–2.5 (x̄ = 29 × 1.8, n = 10) µm, arising from procumbent mycelia, micronematous, solitary, cylindrical, aseptate, flexuous. Conidiogenous cells 2.6–4.6 × 2–2.6 (x̄ = 3.4 × 2.3, n = 25) µm, producing from apex region of conidiophores, solitary, base globose to broadly ellipsoidal, apex with an indeterminate, geniculate, denticulate rachis. Conidia 3–3.5 × 1.5–2.2 (x̄ = 3.8 × 1.8, n = 35) µm, forming from denticulate rachis, ellipsoidal, hyaline, aseptate.
Culture characteristics – Colonies on PDA reaching 3 cm after 7 days at 25 °C, white, velvety, circular, margin entire, mycelia sparse, reverse similar with upper view in colour.
Material examined – Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, mushroom research center, on larva of Coleoptera buried in soil, 13 August 2020, De-Ping Wei, MRC0825 (MFLU 22-0272), living culture MFLUCC 22-0190.
Molecular data – LSU (OQ127377), SSU (OQ127306), ITS (OQ127342), TEF (OQ186369), RPB1 (OQ186423).
Notes – Our collection (MFLU 22-0272) groups with the type strain of Beauveria majiangensis with high support. Beauveria majiangensis was introduced by Chen et al. (2018) based on an asexual morph, which was found on a grub in China. Our collection was discovered in its sexual morph in the natural substrate, a coleopteran larva that was buried in soil. The culture-based asexual morph was observed and it morphologically resembles B. majiangensis in the beauveria-like conidiophores and ellipsoidal conidia. We tentatively assign our collection to be a new geographic record and first record of the sexual morph of B. majiangensis. The most noteworthy is that neither sexual nor asexual characters are highly informative for species delimitation in Beauveria. The Bloc gene is a useful marker frequently used for identifying Beauveria species. Thus, the accurate identification of Beauveria should be based on additional taxon sampling with use of Bloc sequences.
Beauveria majiangensis (MFLU 22-0272). a Stroma emerging from soil. b Stroma on host. c Close-up of fertile part showing perithecia. d Perithecium. e Vertical section through perithecia. f, g Asci. h Part of ascus. i Part of ascospore. j, k Secondary ascospores. l, m Upper and lower view of culture. n–p Conidiophores bearing phialides and conidia. q, r Conidia. Scale bar: c = 1000 μm, d, e = 200 μm, f, g = 100 μm, h = 30 μm, i, n–p = 10 μm, j, k = 5 μm, q, r = 3 μm.
Reference:
Wei DP, Gentekaki E, Wanasinghe DN, Karunarathna SC, Tang SM, Hyde KD 2022 – Diversity, molecular dating and ancestral characters state reconstruction of entomopathogenic fungi in Hypocreales. Mycosphere 13: 281–351.
Recent Genus
PerennicordycepsPleurocordyceps
Purpureocillium
Recent Species
Ophiocordyceps musicaudataOphiocordyceps liangii
Ophiocordyceps fenggangensis