Jenniferia cinerea (Hywel-Jones) Mongkolsamrit & Noisripoom, 2022

Mongkolsamrit, Suchada, Noisripoom, Wasana, Tasanathai, Kanoksri, Kobmoo, Noppol, Thanakitpipattana, Donnaya, Khonsanit, Artit, Petcharad, Booppa, Sakolrak, Baramee & Himaman, Winanda, 2022, Comprehensive treatise of Hevansia and three new genera Jenniferia, Parahevansia and Polystromomyces on spiders in Cordycipitaceae from Thailand, MycoKeys 91, pp. 113-149 : 113

Jenniferia cinerea (Hywel-Jones) Mongkolsamrit & Noisripoom comb. nov.

Fig. 5

Akanthomyces cinereus ≡ Akanthomyces cinereus Hywel-Jones, Mycol. Res. 100: 1068 (1996).

Hevansia cinerea ≡ Hevansia cinerea (Hywel-Jones) Luangsa-ard, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora, IMA Fungus 8: 349 (2017).

Description and illustration.

See Hywel-Jones (1996).

Host.

Spiders ( Araneae , Thomisidae , Amyciaea sp.).

Habitat.

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

Material examined.

Thailand , Ranong Province, Khlong Nakha Wildlife Sanctuary, 9°27'34.52"N, 98°30'16.15"E, on spider ( Araneae ), 21 April 1994, Hywel-Jones NL, Nasit R, Plomhan R, Sivichai S, Thienhirun S, NHJ 3531 holotype, holotype damaged and no culture living, Neotype designated here: THAILAND, Ranong Province, Khlong Nakha Wildlife Sanctuary, 9°27'34.52"N, 98°30'16.15"E, on spider (Non-web builder, Araneae , Thomisidae , Amyciaea sp.), 21 April 1994, Hywel-Jones NL, Nasit R, Plomhan R, Sivichai S, Thienhirun S, NHJ 03510 (BBH 2649, holotype), ex-type culture BCC 6839.

Notes.

Based on the asexual morph of species in Jenniferia , they share similar characteristics in producing grey mycelium covering the spider host and multiple cylindrical synnemata from all parts of the host. The phylogenetic analysis supported J. cinerea as a sibling species to J. griseocinerea , but they have differences in producing synnemata. Jenniferia cinerea produces long synnemata, while J. griseocinerea produces short and long synnemata (Fig. 6 ). Jenniferia cinerea was not found as a sexual morph, whereas both J. griseocinerea and J. thomisidarum were found with sexual and asexual morphs (Tables 2 and 3 ). The shape of conidia in J. cinerea is clavate, but conidia in J. griseocinerea are fusiform and in J. thomisidarum are fusiform to cylindrical (Table 3 ). The spider hosts of J. cinerea from both specimens presented herein are identified as Amyciaea sp. belonging to the family Thomisidae .

Figures

Figure 5. Jenniferia cinerea a, b fungus on a spider (BBH 2649, NHJ 03510, BCC 6839) c, d fungus on a spider (BBH 4896, NHJ 05984, BCC 2191). Scale bars: 5 mm (b, d).

Figure 6. Jenniferia griseocinerea a fungus on a spider (BBH 29656) b perithecium c asci d ascus tip e, f whole ascospores with septate part-spores alternately connected with thread-like structures g fungus on a spider (BBH 33219) h short synnema i long synnema j phialides k conidia l, m colonies on OA at 21 days (l obverse, m reverse) n, o colonies on PDA at 21 days (n obverse, o reverse). Scale bars: 2 mm (a, g); 200 µm (b); 100 µm (c, h, i); 10 µm (d, e, f, j, k).