Blackwellomyces larvatus S.K. Huang & K.D. Hyde, 2025

Huang, Shike, Xiao, Zhongjiu, Yang, Yang, Zhang, He-Gui, Gui, Qiang, Kang, Ji-Chuan & Wen, Tingchi, 2025, A novel species of Blackwellomyces in Guizhou, China, Phytotaxa 691 (2), pp. 113-124 : 117-119

Blackwellomyces larvatus S.K. Huang & K.D. Hyde sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Index Fungorum IF 903426, Facesoffungi FoF 17341

Holotype: — CHINA. Guizhou: Zunyi, Dabanshui Mountain (106.807671, 27.779294), on larvae of Lepidoptera in soil, 21 July 2024, Shi-Ke Huang ( HKAS 145947 , holotype); ex-type living culture ( KUNCC 25-19105 ). Additional culture also isolated ( KUNCC 25-19106 ).

Etymology: — referring to the fungus occurring on insect larvae.

Description: — Sexual morph: Stromata multiple, fleshly, unbranched, about 10 mm long and 1 mm wide, reddish to orange-red, cylindrical. Rhizoids flexuous, emerging from the head and base of lepidoptera larva in soil. Stipe flesh, reddish to orange-red, cylindrical to enlarging apically. Fertile area bright reddish to reddish orange, clavate, irregularly distributed at the apex, with the longer side measuring about 4 mm and the shorter side about 1.5 mm in length, 0.6–1 mm in width. Perithecia 210–340 × 90–160 μm (x̄ = 265 × 125 μm, n = 30), semi-immersed, narrowly ovoid to ampulliform, thick-walled, with ostiole on the top. Peridium 20–38 μm (x̄ = 25 μm, n = 50), comprising two layers, inner layer composed of hyaline to pale orange cells of textura porrecta, outer layer composed of yellow to orange cells of textura angularis. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical, 95–125 × 3.6–6 μm (x̄ = 110 × 4.5 μm, n = 50), with a thick hemispheric apex. Ascospores filiform, hyaline, irregularly multiseptate, 75–95 × 0.7–1.2 μm (x̄ = 80 × 1.0 μm, n = 50), not separating into part-spores when they reach maturity. Asexual morph: Colonies white to purplish red on PDA, cottony with dense mycelium, 20 mm diameter after 10 days at 25 ℃, purplish pigment spreading in PDA. Phialides arising from aerial hyphae, solitary or in whorls of 2–3 on each branch, cylindrical, sometimes swollen at the base, about 10 μm long and 2 μm wide, tapering from the base to thin neck. Conidia hyaline, ovoid to cylindrical, smooth-walled, one-celled, 3.5–5.5 × 1.5–2.5 μm (x̄ = 4.5–2 μm, n = 50).

Morphological distinguishing features of all Blackwellomyces species are listed in Table 2 and are highlighted in the Discussion.

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Figures

FIGURE 2. Blackwellomyces larvatus (HKAS 145947, holotype). a. Habitat of sampling site. b. Stromata produced on host buried in the soil. c. Appearance of fungus on lepidopteran larvae. d–e. Fertile part of stroma. f. Stroma in vertical section. g. Peridium. h–l.Asci. m–n. Colony on PDA (m obverse, n reverse). o–q. Phialides with conidia. r. Conidia. Notes: g–h, j–k stained in cotton blue reagent. Scale bars: c, m–n = 10 mm, d–e = 2 mm, f = 100 µm, g–l, o = 50 µm, p–r = 10 µm.