Phylogenetic and morphological classification of Ophiocordyceps species on termites from Thailand

• Main Authors: Kanoksri Tasanathai, Wasana Noisripoom, Thanyarat Chaitika, Artit Khonsanit, Sasitorn Hasin, Jennifer Luangsa-ard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 2019-07-01
• Series: MycoKeys
• Online Access: https://mycokeys.pensoft.net/article/37636/download/pdf/

Seven new species occurring on termites are added to Ophiocordyceps – O. asiatica, O. brunneirubra, O. khokpasiensis, O. mosingtoensis, O. pseudocommunis, O. pseudorhizoidea and O. termiticola, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. O. brunneirubra possesses orange to reddish-brown immersed perithecia on cylindrical to clavate stromata. O. khokpasiensis, O. mosingtoensis and O. termiticola have pseudo-immersed perithecia while O. asiatica, O. pseudocommunis and O. pseudorhizoidea all possess superficial perithecia, reminiscent of O. communis and O. rhizoidea. Phylogenetic analyses based on a combined dataset comprising the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the largest subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal DNA, partial regions of the elongation factor 1-α (TEF) and the largest and second largest subunits for the RNA polymerase genes (RPB1, RPB2) strongly support the placement of these seven new species in Ophiocordyceps.