Hevansia minuta Tasanathai, Noisripoom & Mongkolsamrit sp. nov.

Fig. 4

Typification.

Thailand, Chumphon Province, Heo Lom Waterfall, 9°43'45.04"N, 98°40'52.71"E, on spider (Web builder, Araneae, Theridiidae, Meotipa sp.) attached to the underside of a dicot leaf of forest plants, 30 May 2011, K. Tasanathai, P. Srikitikulchai, A. Khonsanit, K. Sansatchanon, D. Thanakitpipattana, MY6537.01 (BBH 30490, holotype), ex-type culture BCC 47519 isolated from ascospores.

Etymology.

Refers to the small stroma of this species.

Description.

Spider host covered by white mycelium. Sexual morph: Stromata stipitate, arising from the dorsal region of the host, solitary, cylindrical to enlarging apically, white to cream, 10 mm long, 1 mm broad. Fertile head oval, ca. 2-2.5 mm long, ca. 1.5 mm broad. Perithecia completely immersed, narrowly ovoid, 400-500 × 100-170 µm . Asci cylindrical, 8-spored, 325-450 × 3-5 µm, with cap 2-5 µm thick. Ascospores hyaline, filiform, whole ascospores, 320-450 × 0.5-1.5 µm . Asexual morph: Conidiogenous cells phialidic scattered along with the stipe. Phialides solitary, globose to ovoid, arising from the mycelium, 5-7 × 5-6 µm, distinct necks, 1-2 × 0.5-1 µm . Conidia hyaline, fusiform, 2-7 × 2-3 µm .

Culture characteristics.

Colonies on OA attaining a diam. of 15-18(20) mm in 21 days, cottony with high mycelium density, white. Conidia and reproductive structures not observed.

Colonies on PDA attaining a diam. of 8-9(10) mm in 21 days, cottony with high mycelium density, white, reverse pale yellow (161C-D). Conidia and reproductive structures not observed.

Host.

Spiders ( Araneae, Theridiidae, Meotipa sp.).

Habitat.

Specimens were found on the underside of dicot leaves of forest plants.

Additional materials examined.

Thailand, Chumphon Province, Heo Lom Waterfall, 9°43'45.04"N, 98°40'52.71"E, on spider (Web builder, Araneae, Theridiidae, Meotipa sp.) attached to the underside of a dicot leaf of forest plants, 30 May 2011, K. Tasanathai, P. Srikitikulchai, A. Khonsanit, K. Sansatchanon, D. Thanakitpipattana, MY06537.02 (BBH 30490, paratype), ex-paratype culture BCC 47520 isolated from conidia .

Notes.

Hevansia minuta differs significantly from H. novoguineensis and H. nelumboides in the shape of the fertile heads, which is oval in H. minuta and disc-shaped, slightly convex on the upper surface in H. novoguineensis and H. nelumboides . Additionally, H. minuta differs from H. novoguineensis in the size of the perithecia. In H. minuta, perithecia are smaller than those reported for H. novoguineensis (400-500 × 100-170 µm vs. 500-750 × 200-300 µm) (Table 2). Synnema in H. minuta was not observed in the natural specimen, while the other species in Hevansia produce synnemata (Table 3). Hevansia minuta does not produce pigment in culture. Meanwhile, H. novoguineensis produces a purplish-red pigment diffusing in PDA plates.

NA, information not provided in the original description.