Masters of the manipulator: two new hypocrealean genera, <i> Niveomyces </i> (<i>Cordycipitaceae</i>) and <i> Torrubiellomyces</i> (<i>Ophiocordycipitaceae</i>), parasitic on the zombie ant fungus <i> Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani</i>
João P. M. Araújo, Brittany Lebert, Sophia Vermeulen, Andreas Brachmann, Robin A. Ohm, Harry C. Evans, C. Debekker
Abstract
During surveys in central Florida of the zombie-ant fungus Ophiocordyceps camponoti-floridani , which manipulates the behavior of the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus , two distinct fungal morphotypes were discovered associated with and purportedly parasitic on O. camponoti-floridani . Based on a combination of unique morphology, ecology and phylogenetic placement, we discovered that these morphotypes comprise two novel lineages of fungi. Here, we propose two new genera, Niveomyces and Torrubiellomyces , each including a single species within the families Cordycipitaceae and Ophiocordycipitaceae , respectively. We generated de novo draft genomes for both new species and performed morphological and multi-loci phylogenetic analyses. The macro-morphology and incidence of both new species, Niveomyces coronatus and Torrubiellomyces zombiae , suggest that these fungi are mycoparasites since their growth is observed exclusively on O. camponoti-floridani mycelium, stalks and ascomata, causing evident degradation of their fungal hosts. This work provides a starting point for more studies into fungal interactions between mycopathogens and entomopathogens, which have the potential to contribute towards efforts to battle the global rise of plant and animal mycoses.