New mycoparasitic species in the genera <i>Niveomyces</i> and <i>Pseudoniveomyces</i> <i>gen. nov</i> . ( <i>Hypocreales</i> : <i>Cordycipitaceae</i> ), with sporothrix-like asexual morphs, from Thailand
Noppol Kobmoo, Kanoksri Tasanathai, João P. M. Araújo, Wasana Noisripoom, D. Thanakitpipattana, Suchada Mongkolsamrit, Winanda Himaman, Jos Houbraken, Janet Jennifer Luangsa-ard
Abstract
Four new species of the genus Niveomyces are described from Thailand. They were found as mycoparasites on: Ophiocordyceps infecting flies ( Diptera ) for Niveomyces albus ; ants ( Hymenoptera ) for N. formicidarum ; and leafhoppers ( Hemiptera ) for N. hirsutellae and N. multisynnematus . A new genus, Pseudoniveomyces with two species: Pseudoniveo. blattae (type species), parasitic on Ophiocordyceps infecting cockroaches, and Pseudoniveo. arachnovorum , found on a spider egg sac, are also described. These fungi share a common feature which is a sporothrix-like asexual morph. Based on our molecular data, Sporothrix insectorum is shown to be affiliated to the genus Niveomyces , and thus a new combination N. insectorum comb. nov . is proposed. Niveomyces coronatus , N. formicidarum and N. insectorum formed the N. coronatus species complex found on ant-pathogenic Ophiocordyceps from different continents. Pseudoniveomyces species are distinguished from Niveomyces spp. based on the presence of fusoid macroconidia in culture and a red pigment diffused in the medium, resembling to Gibellula and Hevansia . The molecular phylogenetic analyses also confirmed its generic status. The host/substrates associated with the genera within Cordycipitaceae were mapped onto the phylogeny to demonstrate that mycoparasitism also evolved independently multiple times in this family.