Hypocreales » Ophiocordycipitaceae » Ophiocordyceps

Ophiocordyceps liangii

Ophiocordyceps liangii X. C. Peng & T. C. Wen, in Peng et al., Mycokeys 102: 245–266 (2024)                                                                 

Index Fungorum number: IF901113; Facesofungi number: FoF14888

Sexual morph: Stroma paired, flexuous, fibrous, filiform, tapering gradually towards the apex, unbranched, brown to dark brown, 11.3–18.8 × 0.2 cm. Fertile part cylindrical, dark brown, 5.4–6.1 × 0.2 cm. Stipe flexuous, brown, 5.1–13.5 × 0.1–0.2 cm. Perithecia 350–548 × 203.5–446 μm (x̄ = 430.5 × 296 µm, σ = 56.45 × 60.83, n = 25), superffcial, brown, obovoid. Asci 122–271.5 × 3.5–13.5 μm (x̄ = 204.8 × 8.0 µm, σ = 38.22 × 2.63, n = 40), ffliform, 8-spored, cylindrical, with thickened apices. Apical cap 1.7–4.5 × 4.0–6.6 μm (x̄ = 3.2 × 5.4 µm, σ = 0.56 × 0.59, n = 40), hyaline, conspicuous. Ascospores 67.5–270.5 × 1.5–4.0 µm (x̄ = 151.3 × 2.6 µm, σ = 36.31 × 0.61, n = 55), fusiform to ffliform, aseptate, guttulate, non-disarticulating. Asexual morph: undetermined.

Culture characters – Colonies on PDA, attaining a diameter of 21–27 mm within 25 d at 25 °C, dense, leathery, pale yellow at centre, white at periphery, radially striate, with brown or translucent droplets, reverse black brown, producing brown pigment. Sporulation not observed.

Material examined – China, Guizhou Province, Libo County, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area (25°15′15.68″N, 107°43′43.98″E, alt. 458 m), on dead larva of Lepidoptara, on leaf litter, 12 July 2022, Xing-Can Peng, LB22071253 (HKAS 125845 holotype, GACP LB22071253 ex-type culture).

 

Notes –Phylogenetic analyses revealed that Ophiocordyceps liangii is closely related to O. agriotidis and O. brunneiperitheciata with high support (100% ML/1.00 PP, Fig. 1). Ophiocordyceps liangii differs from O. brunneiperitheciata and O. agriotidis in having longer stroma, larger perithecia and asci (see Table 2). The comparison of the nucleotide sequences between O. liangii (GACP LB22071253) and O. brunneiperitheciata (TBRC 8100) showed 23 bp (including 3 gaps) differences in LSU, 102 bp in tef1-α and 88 bp in rpb2 sequences. Ophiocordyceps liangii differs from O. agriotidis ARSEF 5692 by 3 bp in SSU, 70 bp (including 20 gaps) in ITS, 20 bp (including 1 gap) in LSU, 106 bp in tef1-α and 79 bp in rpb2. Henceforth, we describe this taxon as a new species in Ophiocordyceps.

 

 

Ophiocordyceps liangii (holotype HKAS 125845) a habitat b, c stromata arising from host d superffcial perithecia e host f, g section of perithecia h–k asci h–i immature j, k mature l, m ascus cap n–p ascospores q–s reverse and front view of culture on PDA. Scale bars: 4 cm (b, c), 1 mm (d), 5 mm (e), 100 µm (f, g), 50 µm (h–k), 20 µm (l, m), 30 µm (n–p), 2 cm (q–s).

 

Reference:

Peng XC, Wen TC, Wei DP, Liao YH, Wang Y, Zhang X, Wang GY, Zhou Y, Tangtrakulwanich K, Liang JD (2024) Two new species and one new combination of Ophiocordyceps (Hypocreales, Ophiocordycipitaceae) in Guizhou. MycoKeys 102: 245–266.

 

Recent Genus

Perennicordyceps
Pleurocordyceps
Purpureocillium

Recent Species

Ophiocordyceps musicaudata
Ophiocordyceps liangii
Ophiocordyceps fenggangensis