Hypocreales » Ophiocordycipitaceae » Ophiocordyceps

Ophiocordyceps camponoti-leonardi

Ophiocordyceps camponoti-leonardi Kobmoo, Mongkols., Tasan., Thanakitp. & Luangsa-ard, Mol. Ecol. 21(12): 3029 (2012)                 

Index Fungorum number: IF 564215; Facesoffungi number: FoF 13967

Parasitic on ants. Sexual morph: Stroma arising from the dorsal pronotum of host, solitary, simple, cylindrical. Fertile cushion hemisphaerical, brown, surface rough due to projecting perithecial necks. Perithecia 230–260 × 80–130 (x̄ = 250 × 104, n = 10) μm, immersed, flask-shaped. Peridium 15–40 (x̄ = 24, n = 20) μm, comprised of hyaline, thick-walled cells of textura angularis. Asci 100–150 × 6–9 (x̄ = 118 × 7.4, n = 20) μm, eight-spored, hyaline, slightly fusiform with hemispherical apical cap measuring 4.5–7 × 2–4.5 (x̄ = 5.3 × 3.6, n = 20) μm. Ascospores 70–95 × 2–3 (x̄ = 86 × 2.6, n = 20) μm, hyaline, needle-like, 4–5-septate. Asexual morph: Hisutella-A type produced laterally on upper part of stromata. Phialide 4.5–9 × 2.5–4.5 (x̄ = 6.2 × 3.7, n = 25) μm, base cylindrical, arbitrarily tapering into a narrow neck 10–20 × 0.8–1.4 (x̄ = 15.6 × 1.1, n = 25) μm. Conidia 3.5–5 × 1.5–2.5 (x̄ = 4.2 × 2, n = 25) μm hyaline, one-celled, oval. Hisutella-C type produced from brown sporodochia on the joint of legs and antennal joints. Phialide 10–40 × 3–5 (x̄ = 22 × 4.1, n = 35) μm, base cylindrical, gradually attenuate into neck 14–32 × 1.3–2.1 (x̄ = 2.1 × 1.7, n = 35) μm. Conidia 10–15 × 1.6–3 (x̄ = 12 × 2.2, n = 15) μm, hyaline, cylindrical to slightly fusiform, aseptate smooth-walled.

Material examined – Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Mushroom researcher centre, on ant (Camponotus leonardi) attached to living dicotyledonous leaf, 13 August 2020, De-Ping Wei, MRC0805B-1 (MFLU 22-0269).

Notes – Kobmoo et al. (2012) recognized three cryptic species in Ophiocordyceps unilateralis sensu lato based on phylogenetic analysis of individual tef1 and Beta-Tubulin genes. The result shows that species parasitic on Camponotus leonardi form a distinct clade well-separated from those on Camponotus saundersi and Polyrhachis furcate. Thereby Ophiocordyceps camponoti-leonardi was proposed to accommodate species in the clade of Camponotus leonardi. In this study, we collected a zombie ant fungus parasitic on Camponotus leonardi. It produces typical morphologies of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis in having stalked stroma arising from the ant neck, brown fertile part laterally attached to the stroma, immersed perithecia, fusiform asci, long fusiform whole ascospores as well as the hisutella-like conidiophores. Thereby, we determined our collection as O. camponoti-leonardi and provided the clear microphotolate that has not been given by Kobmoo et al. (2012). The accurate identification of this specimen should be confirmed with phylogenetic analysis of tef1 and beta-Tubulin genes.

 

 

Ophiocordyceps camponoti-leonaridi (MFLU 22-0269). A Stroma arising from neck of ant. b Ascomatal cushions. c Vertical section through ascoma. d, e Asci. f–h Ascospores. i Ascospore with capilliconidiophore bearing one capilliconidium at its apices. j Hirsutella hymenium on antenna. k, l, r Phialides. m, n, s Conidia. o, p Upper part of stroma. q Hirsutella hymenium on upper part of stroma. Scale bars: a = 5000 µm, b = 1000 µm, j, o, p = 500 µm, c = 200 µm, d–i = 50 µm, k, l, q = 30 µm, m, n, r = 10 µm, s = 5 µm (r stained with Congo red solution).

 

Reference:

Wei DP, Gentekaki E, Wanasinghe DN, Tang SM, Hyde KD. Diversity, molecular dating and ancestral characters state reconstruction of entomopathogenic fungi. Mycosphere. 13(2): 281–351.

 

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