Ophiocordyceps ovatospora sp. nov. (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales), pathogenic on termites from China

A new species, Ophiocordyceps ovatospora, occurring on termites was collected from Yunnan Province, China, and is described based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic data. In a phylogenetic analysis of a combined dataset of multigene loci comprising the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS), the small and large subunit of the ribosomal DNA (nrSSU and nrLSU), partial sequences of elongation factor 1-alpha (tef-1a) and the largest and second largest subunit of the RNA polymerase (rpb1, rpb2), O. ovatospora was clustered together with O. khokpasiensis to form a clade separate from other species of Ophiocordyceps. Morphologically, O. ovatospora is characterized by producing pseudo-immersed perithecia, filiform asci and ascospores, monophialidic phialides, and oval conidia. Ophiocordyceps ovatospora has smaller perithecia than those of O. khokpasiensis but its asci are larger.

Automated summary

A new species of parasitic fungus, O. ovatospora, occurring on termites, was discovered in Yunnan Province, China. The researchers described this species based on its morphological and molecular phylogenetic characteristics, and found that it forms a separate clade with O. khokpasiensis in the phylogenetic analysis. Morphologically, O. ovatospora is characterized by its pseudo-immersed perithecia, filiform asci and ascospores, monophialidic phialides, and oval conidia.