Gibellula penicillioides Ming J. Chen & B. Huang, sp. nov.

Chen, MingJun, Wang, Ting, Lin, Yan & Huang, Bo, 2022, Morphological and molecular analyses reveal two new species of Gibellula (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from China, MycoKeys 90, pp. 53-69 : 53

Gibellula penicillioides Ming J. Chen & B. Huang, sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Etymology.

Latin " Gibellula penicillioides " referring to the fungus with penicillate conidiophores.

Type.

China. Anhui Province: Shitai County, Guniujiang National Nature Reserve , on a spider, on unidentified leaf, 1 August 2020, Mingjun Chen & Bo Huang, holotype GNJ20200814-14. GenBank sequence data for GNJ20200814-14: SSU = MW969670 ; LSU = MW96966; TEF = MW961416 ; RPB1 = MZ215999 .

Description.

Mycelium covering the host, brownish-white cream-yellow to light-brown mycelial mat. Light greyish-brown to violaceous-brown when dried. Synnema solitary, white to yellowish, arising from the tip of the host’s abdomen, slender, cylindrical, 6.8 mm long, 0.6 mm wide at base and 0.1 mm at tip. Conidiophores rising from mycelial mat and synnema, smooth, septate, cylindrical, mostly biverticillate, (40-) 52.5-92 (115) × (4-) 4.5-6 μm (Fig. 1d, e ), vesicles rarely developed. Several metulae are borne on the apex of conidiophore. Metulae clavate (slightly broadening towards the base) to cylindrical, (11-) 13-17.5 (21.5) × 3.5-5 (-5.5) μm, with a number of phialides in whorls. Phialides broadly cylindrical, with the apex tapering abruptly to a short neck (10-) 12.5-15.5 (-17) × (2.5-) 3-4 (-5) μm. Conidia fusiform, (7-) 7.5-9 (-10) × 2.5-3.5 μm, in chains, borne on each phialide (Figs 1i-j ). Teleomorph and granulomanus synanamorphs not observed.

Habitat.

Occurring on spider attached to the underside of unidentified leaves nearby rivers.

Additional materials examined.

China. Anhui Province: Shitai County, Guniujiang National Nature Reserve , on a spider, 1 August 2020, Mingjun Chen & Ting Wang, GNJ20200814-11, GNJ20200814-17 and GNJ20200812-05 . China. Guangdong Province: Nanling Nature Reserve , August 2021, on a spider, Qianle Lu, NL 20210822-01, NL20210822-09, and NL20210822-20 .

Notes.

In its morphological characters, G. penicillioides resembles G. scorpioides , G. dabieshanensis B. Huang, M.Z. Fan & Z.Z. Li, G. Gibellula clavulifera var. Gibellula clavulifera clavulifera (Petch) Samson & H.C. Evans, G. Gibellula clavulifera var. Gibellula clavulifera major Tzean, L.S. Hsieh, J.Y. Liou & W.J. Wu and G. clavulifera var. alba Humber & Rombach by single synnema producing smooth penicillate conidiophores. Table 2 provides a comparative summary of the main characters of G. penicillioides and the other four species. Microscopically, G. penicillioides can be distinguished from G. scorpioides , G. dabieshanensis and G. clavulifera var. clavulifera by having longer conidiophores and slightly larger conidia. Furthermore, G. penicillioides differs from G. clavulifera var. alba by forming larger metulae, phialides and conidia, while G. clavulifera var. major produces the largest conidia and the longest conidiophore.

Figures

Figure 1. Gibellula penicillioides sp. nov. a-b fungus on spider c synnema solitary d-f Penicillate conidiophores g conidiophore head bearing conidia h conidia i conidia in chains. Scale bars: 50 μm (d, e, f); 10 μm (g, h, i).