Jenniferia Mongkolsamrit, Noisripoom & Tasanathai gen. nov.

Type species.

Jenniferia thomisidarum Mongkolsamrit, Noisripoom & Tasanathai.

Etymology.

In honour of Dr. Jennifer Luangsa-ard, for her support and guidance in arthropod pathogenic fungi research.

Description.

Spider hosts covered with pale yellow to dark greyish-yellow mycelium. Sexual morph: Stromata non-stipitate. Perithecia growing in subiculum, superficial, aggregated in clusters forming a cushion. Asci cylindrical with thickened caps. Ascospores hyaline, septate part-spores alternately connected with thread-like structures along the whole ascospore (Fig. 2d). Asexual morph: Synnemata arising from all parts of host, numerous, cylindrical to clavate. Conidiogenous cells phialidic, producing along the synnemata or upper part of the synnemata. Phialides flask-shaped with distinct necks. Conidia hyaline, fusiform or cylindrical.

Notes.

Jenniferia is strongly supported as a monophyletic clade by having unique morphological characteristics of perithecia and ascospores. In sexual morph specimens, this genus produces aggregated superficial perithecia forming a cushion with septate part-spores alternately connected with thread-like structures along the whole ascospore (Fig. 2d), which are not seen in any allied genera of the family.