Samsoniella asiatica H. Yu bis, Y. Wang & Z.Q. Wang, 2023

Wang, Yao, Wang, Zhi-Qin, Thanarut, Chinnapan, Dao, Van-Minh, Wang, Yuan-Bing & Yu, Hong, 2023, Phylogeny and species delimitations in the economically, medically, and ecologically important genus Samsoniella (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales), MycoKeys 99, pp. 227-250 : 227

Samsoniella asiatica H. Yu bis, Y. Wang & Z.Q. Wang sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Etymology.

Named after Asia (China, Vietnam and Laos), where the species was originally collected.

Type.

China, Yunnan Province, Yuanyang County, Xinjie Town, Duoyishu Village (23°4′50″N, 102°48′34″E, 1866 m above sea level), on a pupa of Lepidoptera in a dead twig, 10 December 2021, Yao Wang (holotype: YHH 869; ex-type living culture: YFCC 869) .

Description.

Teleomorph: Undetermined. Anamorph: Synnemata arising from lepidopteran insects. Synnemata erect, flexuous, white or pale orange, 4-26 × 0.4-1.5 mm. Stipes cylindrical, producing a mass of conidia at the branches of synnemata, powdery and floccose. Colonies on PDA moderately fast-growing, 41-45 mm diameter in 14 days at 25 °C, white, cottony, generating several concentric rings at the centrum, sporulating abundantly, reverse white to pale yellow. Hyphae smooth-walled, branched, septate, hyaline, 1.3-2.0 µm wide. Conidiophores smooth-walled, cylindrical, solitary or verticillate, 4.6-10.3 × 0.8-1.9 µm. Phialides on conidiophores verticillate, usually in whorls of two to four, or solitary on hyphae, 2.7-8.6 µm long, basal portion cylindrical to narrowly lageniform, tapering gradually or abruptly toward the apex, from 0.7-1.7 µm wide (base) to 0.6-1.1 µm wide (apex). Conidia smooth and hyaline, fusiform or oval, one-celled, 1.1-1.8 × 0.8-1.2 µm, often in chains. Size and shape of phialides and conidia similar in culture and on natural substratum.

Distribution.

Yunnan Province, China; Lao Cai Province, Vietnam; Oudomxay Province, Laos.

Additional materials examined.

Vietnam, Lao Cai Province, Sa Pa District, Hoang Lien Mountains (22°21′4″N, 103°46′29″E, 1931 m above sea level), on a larva of Noctuidae buried in soil, 31 October 2016, collected by Hong Yu (YHH 871; living culture: YFCC 871) ; Laos, Oudomxay Province, Muang Xay County, Nagang Village (20°42′51″N, 102°5′44″E, 698 m above sea level), on a larva of Spilosoma , 29 July 2019, Yao Wang (YHH 870; living culture: YFCC 870) .

Commentary.

Morphologically, S. asiatica resembles the phylogenetically closely related sister species S. yunnanensis in producing orange to pink stipes, a mass of conidia toward the apex synnemata and Isaria -like asexual conidiogenous structure. Additionally, both of the fungal sexual morphs have not been determined yet. However, S. asiatica can be distinguished from S. yunnanensis by its shorter phialides (2.7-8.6 µm) and smaller conidia (1.1-1.8 × 0.8-1.2 µm). Ecologically, S. asiatica has been found to parasitize larvae and pupae of Lepidoptera , whereas S. yunnanensis is associated with pupae of Limacodidae in cocoons and Cordyceps spp. ( Wang et al. 2020a). Both morphological and phylogenetic analyses support the idea that this fungus is a distinct species in the genus Samsoniella .

Figures

Figure 3. Samsoniella asiatica A fungus-infected lepidopteran pupa B stipes producing a mass of conidia at the apex C synnemata of fungus arising from lepidopteran larva D colony as obversed on PDA medium E-M conidiophores, phialides and conidia on PDA N conidia on PDA. Scale bars: 10 mm (A, C); 5 mm (B); 20 mm (D); 15 μm (E); 10 μm (F, G, H); 5 μm (I, J, K, N); 3 μm (L, M).