Tolypocladium phycosomatis Hong Yu bis, Y.L. Lu & S.Y. Li, 2025

Li, Song-Yu, Lu, Ying-Ling, Zhao, Jing, Ma, Jin-Mei, Yang, Shi-Dao, Yu, Zhi-Yong & Yu, Hong, 2025, Morphology and phylogeny reveal a novel species, Tolypocladium phycosomatis (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales), from Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 684 (2), pp. 254-264 : 259-260

Tolypocladium phycosomatis Hong Yu bis, Y.L. Lu & S.Y. Li sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

MycoBank: MB 857310

Etymology:— phycosomatis refers to the host genus ( Phycosoma ).

Holotype:— CHINA. Yunnan Province: Jinping Miao Yao Dai Autonomous County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture , 103°28'57'' E, 22°45'58'' N, alt. 1511.3 m, 26 September 2024, Hong Yu and Jing Zhao, from underside of a leaf of Woodwardia sp. , with a spider present . Holotype YHH OT 2409001; ex-type living culture YFCC 24099493 .

Sexual morph:— Undetermined. Asexual morph:— Colonies cultured on PDA medium at 25 °C for 14 days, reached a diameter of 5.0– 5.2 cm. The colony surface white, circular, cotton-like with a centrally convex area; reverse side with alternating brown and yellow pigmentation, forming a ring pattern. Hyphae hyaline, unbranched, smooth-walled, 1–1.8 µm wide. Phialides predominantly solitary along the hyphae, occasionally in whorls, 1.9–45.1 µm long, 0.7–1.9 µm wide, with an inflated oval base (0.7–2.1 µm wide) that narrows gradually or abruptly into a curved neck (0.5–1.2 µm wide). Conidia smooth-walled, transparent, round to oval or rod-like, 1.1–1.9 µm long and 0.8–1.6 µm wide, mostly aggregated at apex of the phialides, sometimes single.

Host:— Phycosoma sp.

Distribution: CHINA. Yunnan Province: Jinping Miao Yao Dai Autonomous County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture.

Notes:— Based on the phylogenetic analysis, T. phycosomatis and T. ovalisporum were identified as sister species. Notably, the conidia of T. phycosomatis (1.1–1.9 × 0.76–1.6 μm) were significantly smaller compared to those of T. ovalisporum (4.5–9 × 2.5–3.5 μm). Additionally, the conidia of T. phycosomatis tend to aggregate at the apex of the phialides. Furthermore, T. phycosomatis was associated with spider hosts, whereas T. ovalisporum is found in a lichen ( Table 2).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Tolypocladium phycosomatis. a. Overview of the host and stroma. b. Colony top. c. Colony reverse. d–o. Condiophores and phialides. p–r. Conidia. Scale bars: a = 0.5 mm, b, c = 2 cm, d–g, i–k = 10 μm, h, l–r = 5 μm.