Simplicillium formicae
Simplicillium formicae D.P. Wei & K.D. Hyde, in Wei, Wanasinghe, Hyde, Mortimer, Xu, Xiao, Bhunjun & To-anun, MycoKeys 60: 78 (2019)
Index Fungorum number: IF556432, Facesoffungi number: FoF 05813
Parasitic on ant (Formicidae). Asexual morph: Hyphomycetous. Mycelium rarely septate, hyaline, smooth-walled, covering the whole body of the ant host. Synnemata 250–350 × 65–100 (x̄ = 300 × 86, n = 10) μm, forming at the head region of ant host in circular arrangement, flask-shaped, hyaline to yellowish, composed of dense hyphae, somehow curved. Phialides 25–100 × 0.5–1.5 (x̄ = 49 × 1.1, n = 20) μm, arising from procumbent hyphae or synnemata, blastic, enteroblastic, phialidic, monophialidic, discrete, terminal, unbranched, solitary, aseptate, hyaline, smooth-walled, slender, occasionally a swollen node present. Conidia 2–3.5 × 1.5–2.5 (x̄ = 2.6 × 2, n = 30) μm, globose to ellipsoidal, hyaline, one-celled, smooth-walled, round at both ends, adhering in slimy head on the tip of phialides. Sexual morph: Undetermined.
Culture characteristics: The colonies were rapid-growing on PDA medium, reaching a diameter of 2.5–3 (x̄ = 2.6, n = 9) cm, in 13 days at 22 °C, entire margin, circular, velvety and white from above, with radial crack and primrose-yellow on reverse. In vitro, Synnemata absent. Phialides 25–75 × 0.4–0.6 (x̄ = 50 × 0.55, n = 10) μm, arising from procumbent hyphae, blastic, enteroblastic, phialidic, discrete, terminal, unbranched, solitary, aseptate, hyaline, smooth-walled, relatively slender and long. Conidia 1.5–3 × 1.5–2.5 (x̄ = 2.3 × 1.7, n = 100) μm, hyaline, globose to ellipsoidal, aseptate, smooth-walled, slightly guttulate, adhering in slimy head on the tip of phialides.
Known hosts and distribution: on an adult ant (Thailand: Chiang Mai) (Wei et al. 2019)
Sequence data: MFLUCC 18–1379 (SSU = MK765046, LSU = MK766512, ITS = MK766511, TEF = MK926451, RPB1 = MK882623). Phylogenetic tree (see entry Simplicillium lanosoniveum)
Simplicillium formicae (Material examined: THAILAND, Chiang Mai Province, Mushroom Research Centre, on an adult ant, 1 April 2018, Deping Wei, MRC18040102 (holotype: HKAS 102459)). a Superficial hyphae associated with the ant host b–e flask-shaped synnemata f–k phialides bearing conidia l–p conidia. Scale bars: 1000 μm (a); 500 μm (b); 100 μm (d); 30 μm (e, f); 15 μm (j, k); 10 μm (l–p) (e stained with cotton blue solution).
Simplicillium formicae (MFLUCC 18–1379, ex-type living culture) a upper and reverse view of cultures on PDA after 30 days e–g phialides indicated with black arrow c, d, h–j conidial mass on the tip of phialides k–m conidia. Scale bars: 10 μm (c, d, f, g); 20 μm (e); 3 μm (h–j); 1 μm (k–m) (e–j stained with cotton blue solution).
References:
Wei DP, Wanasinghe DN, Hyde KD, Mortimer PE, Xu J, Xiao YP et al. 2019 – The genus Simplicillium. MycoKeys 60:69.