FungiHypocrealesCordycipitaceaeChenWan-HaoHanYan-FengLiangJian-DongTianWei-YiLiangZong-QiMorphological and phylogenetic characterisations reveal three new species of Samsoniella (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from Guizhou, ChinaMycoKeys191020207411510.3897/mycokeys.74.56655F09AE22C-FF9F-59A3-8F34-59DFC6F23B1D Samsoniella hymenopterorum 831736 W.H. Chen, Y.F. Han & Z.Q. Liangsp. nov.Fig. 4Diagnosis.

Differs from Samsoniella inthanonensis and S. aurantia by having smaller, fusiform to ovoid conidia and a host in the family Vespidae.

Type.

China, Guizhou Province, Xishui County, at 28°29'56.70"N, 106°24'31.04"E, July 2018, Jiandong Liang, holotype GZAC A1952, ex-type culture GZAC A19522. Sequences from isolated strain A19522 have been deposited in GenBank with accession numbers: ITS = MN128224, RPB1 = MT642603, RPB2 = MT642604 and TEF = MN101588.

10.3897/mycokeys.74.56655.figure4F84AD002-13A9-50A5-BDA3-D67D20E5DBD4

Samsoniella hymenopterorumA infected insect (Hymenoptera) B, C top (B) and underside (C) of a colony cultured on PDA medium at 14 d D–H, J phialides and conidia in chains K conidiophore and phialides I conidia. Scale bars: 10 mm (B, C); 10 μm (D–K).

https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/464261Description.

Colonies on PDA, 6.2–6.4 cm diam. in 14 d at 25 °C, white, consisting of a basal felt and cottony, floccose hyphal overgrowth, reverse yellowish. Prostrate hyphae smooth, septate, hyaline, 1.1–1.6 μm diam. Erect conidiophores usually arising from aerial hyphae, Isaria-like with phialides in whorls of three to four. Phialides 6.5–10.6 × 1.2–2.0 μm, with a cylindrical basal portion, tapering to a distinct neck. Conidia in chains, hyaline, fusiform to ovoid, 1-celled, 1.9–2.5 × 1.5–2.1 μm. Chlamydospores and synnemata not observed. Size and shape of phialides and conidia similar in culture and on natural substratum. Sexual state not observed.

Host.

Bee, family Vespidae.

Distribution.

Xishui County, Guizhou Province, China.

Etymology.

Referring to its insect host, order Hymenoptera.

Remarks.

Samsoniella hymenopterorum was identified as belonging to Samsoniella, based on the phylogenetic analyses (Fig. 1). Comparing with the typical characteristics of the three species (Table 2), S. hymenopterorum has a close relationship with S. inthanonensis by a having cylindrical basal in phialide and similar in size. However, it is distinguished from S. inthanonensis by having smaller, fusiform to ovoid conidia and a host in the family Vespidae. Based on combined dataset of ITS, RPB1, RPB2 and TEF sequences, S. hymenopterorum is phylogenetically close to S. aurantia and S. inthanonensis (Fig. 2). However, S. hymenopterorum has smaller fusiform to ovoid conidia and a different host.

10.3897/mycokeys.74.56655.figure115B1846B-9526-52C4-9B44-C17F1B9D5398

Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Samsoniella in Cordycipitaceae, based on multigene dataset (ITS, RPB1, RPB2 and TEF). Statistical support values (≥ 50%/0.5) are shown at the nodes for ML bootstrap support/BI posterior probabilities.

https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/464258

Morphological comparison of three new species with other Samsoniella species.

SpeciesMorphological characteristicsReference
Phialide (μm)Conidia (μm)Hosts/substrates
Samsoniella alboaurantium 5–8 × 2ovate to lemon-shapedsoil, lepidopterous pupa Smith 1957
2.3–2.5(–3) × 1.5–1.8
S. aurantia cylindrical to ellipsoidalfusiformlepidopterous larvae Mongkolsamrit et al. 2018
(5–)5.5–8.5(–13) × 2–3(2–)2.5–3.5(–4) × (1–)1.5(–2)
S. inthanonensis cylindricalshort fusiformlepidopterous larvae Mongkolsamrit et al. 2018
(4–)6.5–10(–12) × (1–)1.5–2(–3)(2–)3(–3.5) × 1.5–2
S. coleopterorum cylindrical to ellipsoidalfusiform, ellipsoidal or subglobosesnout beetlethis study
5.4–9.7 × 1.2–1.81.7–2.5 × 1.2–1.8
S. hymenopterorum cylindricalfusiform to ovoidbeethis study
6.5–10.6 × 1.2–2.01.9–2.5 × 1.5–2.1
S. lepidopterorum ellipsoidalfusiform to subgloboselepidopterous pupathis study
5.2–8.5(–13.1) × 1.1–1.72.0–2.5 × 1.2–2.0
10.3897/mycokeys.74.56655.figure2F318071A-560D-5156-A118-7D1901364389

Phylogenetic relationships between the genus Samsoniella and closely-related species, based on multigene dataset (ITS, RPB1, RPB2 and TEF). Statistical support values (≥ 50%/0.5) are shown at the nodes for ML bootstrap support/BI posterior probabilities.

https://binary.pensoft.net/fig/464259SmithG (1957) Some new and interesting species of micro-fungi.Transactions of the British Mycological Society40(4): 481–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0007-1536(57)80054-0MongkolsamritSNoisripoomWThanakitpipattanaDWutikhunTSpataforaJWLuangsa-ardJ (2018) Disentangling cryptic species with Isaria-like morphs in Cordycipitaceae.Mycologia110: 230–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/00275514.2018.1446651