Metarhizium alvesii sp nov.: A new member of the Metarhizium anisopliae species complex

A strain within the Metarhizium anisopliae species complex was isolated in 2009 from a soil sample in a banana plantation in the municipality of Quixere, Northeastern region of Brazil. Previous studies showed that this insect pathogenic strain does not fit with any current taxon within the M. anisopliae species complex, as determined by both genomic and by mass spectrometric analyses. In the present study, CG1123 (=ARSEF 13308) is shown to be morphologically indistinguishable from most species in this cosmopolitan species complex, whereas multi locus phylogeny confirmed its uniqueness and supports its recognition as a new species, Metarhizium alvesii, in honor of Sergio Batista Alves, one of the founders of insect pathology in Brazil.