Escovopsis multiformis Q.V. Montoya, M.J.S. Martiarena, D.A. Polezel, S. Kakazu & A. Rodrigues

Montoya, Quimi Vidaurre, Martiarena, Maria Jesus Sutta, Danilo Augusto Polezel,, akazu, Sergio & Rodrigues, Andre, 2019, More pieces to a huge puzzle: Two new Escovopsis species from fungus gardens of attine ants, MycoKeys 46, pp. 97-118 : 102-105

Escovopsis multiformis Q.V. Montoya, M.J.S. Martiarena, D.A. Polezel, S. Kakazu & A. Rodrigues sp. nov. Figs 1, 4, 5

Etymology.

“multiformis” in relation to the different vesicle shapes found in the same isolate.

Typification.

BRAZIL. Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, (27°28'11.28"S, 48°22'39.48"W), elev. 119 m, fungus garden, 08, 2015. A. Rodrigues. Holotype: CBS H-23846 (dried culture on PDA). Ex-type strain LESF 847 (= CBS 145327).

Sequences.

ITS (MH715091), tef1 (MH724265) and LSU (MH715105).

Description.

Colonies grow at 10, 20, 25 and 30 °C (Fig. 1). The best growth temperature was 30 °C. At this temperature, colonies reached 1.2-1.4 cm, 2.7-3 cm, 2.6-3 cm, 3.3-3.5 cm, 2.5-2.8 cm, 2.7-2.9 cm and 1.9-2.5 cm in radius on CMD, CYA, MA2%, MEA, OA, PCA and PDA, after 14 days, respectively. Colonies exhibit light-brown floccose mycelia (colony edge usually lighter or white). The colour shades and the character of the aerial mycelium vary on each culture medium (Fig. 1). Colonies present concentric rings with a hardened ring similar to a crust in the centre on CYA (Fig. 1) and the sporulation is more abundant on PCA and PDA. At 20 °C, on CMD, CYA, MA2%, MEA, OA, PCA, PDA and SNA, colonies attained 0.5-0.8 cm, 1.1-2.2 cm, 2-2.5 cm, 2.1-2.3 cm, 2-2.5 cm, 2.8 cm, 1.9-2.4 cm and 0-0.1 cm in radius, respectively. At 25 °C, colonies reached 1 cm, 2.1-2.3 cm, 2-2.4 cm, 2.5-2.6 cm, 2.2-2.7 cm, 2.8-3 cm, 1.8-2 cm and 0.1-0.2 cm in radius on CMD, CYA, MA2%, MEA, OA, PCA, PDA and SNA, respectively. Pustule-like structures were observed on OA and CMD at 20, 25 and 30 °C. At 10 °C, the colony growth was inconspicuous, reaching 0.2-0.3 cm, 0.2-0.4 cm, 0.3 cm, 0.6-0.8 cm, 0.8 cm and 0.3-0.5 cm in radius on CYA, MA2%, MEA, OA, PCA and PDA, respectively, after 14 days. At this temperature, growth started in these culture media after seven days and sporulation occurred only after the 12th day. No growth was observed at 35 °C.

Conidiophores arising from aerial hypha alternated or opposite (Fig. 3A), with the main axis of 41-293 μm in length, some without branching and most of them with one level of branching. Rarely, branches form two levels branching (Figs 4 A–C, 5A, B). Branches arise from the main axis of the conidiophore alternated, with a septum near the central axis and before the vesicle, usually with one branch at each branching point (32-84 μm long) or 2-4 branches arising from swollen cells (17-86 μm long), mostly forming right angles, usually slightly curved up. Each branch terminates in a vesicle, with 1-4 fertile heads per conidiophore. Swollen cells are present in 27% of the total of con idiophores examined (Figs 4 D–G, 5 C–F) and can measure 16-34 μm long × 9-20 μm wide. Sometimes, one swollen cells’ branch gives rise to another swollen cell with more branches (Figs 2F, 3C). Vesicles with only a septum at the base, in various shapes: globose (22%), subglobose (37%), broadly ellipsoidal (26%), ellipsoidal (10%), cylindrical (5%) (Figs 4H, I, 5G, H); and reaching 12-27 μm × 9-17 μm wide. Phialides lageniform formed on vesicles (Fig. 5I), with 6-10 μm in total length, elongated base (1- 2.5 μm × 0.5-1μm), followed by a swollen section (2.5-4.5 μm × 2-3.5 μm) and a thin neck (1- 4.5 μm × 0.5-1 μm). Conidia are 2.5-3.5 μm long × 1.5-2.5 μm wide, in various shapes: globose (2%), subglobose (3%), broadly ellipsoidal (33%), ellipsoidal (47%), cylindrical (15%); brown, with smooth and slightly thickened walls and in chains (Figs 4, 5J).

Habitat.

Isolated from fungus garden of Apterostigma sp.

Additional specimens examined.

BRAZIL. Mato Grosso, Cotriguaçu, (09°49'22.74"S, 58°15'32.04"W), elev. 252 m, fungus garden, 10, 2017. Q. V. Montoya. LESF 1136 (ITS - MH715092, tef1 - MH724266 and LSU - MH715106).

Notes.

Escovopsis multiformis is closely related to E. clavatus . Different from E. clavatus that grow at 20 and 25 °C, E. multiformis grow at 10, 20, 25 and 30 °C. The optimum growth temperature of E. multiformis is 30 °C and that of E. clavatus is 25 °C. The conidiophores of E. multiformis are smaller and less branched than E. clavatus and the swollen cells are more frequent and larger than those found in E. clavatus . E. multiformis differs from other described species by the presence of conidiophores with a swollen cell, the presence of different vesicles shapes and because it is phylogenetically placed in a distinct clade.