Stachybotrys from soil in China, identified by morphology and molecular phylogeny

Four Stachybotrys strains were isolated from soil in China. One was identified as a novel species by morphological characters of phialides and conidia. It produced cylindrical conidia with irregular striations and smooth, hyaline conidiophores. Phylogenetic analysis of three DNA markers, the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS1–5.8S–ITS2), the translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1) and RNA polymerase II subunit (rpb2), supported the morphological results. The correlation between morphological and molecular-based clustering demonstrated that the studied isolate was a new species. Two other isolates were identified as S. cf. elegans.     

Arachnophora dinghuensis sp. nov. and Websteromyces inaequale sp. nov., and two new records of anamorphic fungi from dead branches of broad-leaved trees in China

Two new species of hyphomycetes, Arachnophora dinghuensis and Websteromyces inaequale, are described and illustrated from specimens collected on dead branches of unidentified plants in China. Arachnophora dinghuensis is characterized by monoblastic, integrated, terminal, occasionally percurrently extending conidiogenous cells that produce solitary, acrogenous, staurosporous conidia. The conidia are two-celled, irregular, brown, 21–27.5 × 10–17 μm, with a central body that bears 2 or more fertile, brown to pale brown lateral cells, which in turn give rise to 1–3 fertile, conical, hyaline to pale brown arm-cells, 4–6.5 × 3.5–4.5 μm. A microconidial, Selenosporella-like synanamorph occurs at the apex of the arms. Websteromyces inaequale is recognized as the second species in the genus, and differs from the type species, W. verruculosus, in possessing naviculiform, obclavate to ellipsoidal, smooth, larger conidia in unbranched acropetal chains. The hyphomycetes Rhexoacrodictys queenslandica and Solicorynespora sylvatica are reported from China for the first time. A key to Arachnophora species is provided.     

Phylogeny and morphology of Hirsutella tunicata sp. nov. (Ophiocordycipitaceae), a novel mite parasite from Peru

A new species of Hirsutella was isolated from unidentified mites on Petri plates inoculated with soil and root fragments collected from asparagus rhizosphere at Virú, Northern Peru. The fungus differs from other Hirsutella species by an envelope surrounding the conidium, conidia dimension and DNA sequences. In PDA cultures, the mycelium produced aerial hyphae with conidiogenous cells mainly at right angles, occasionally showing a secondary conidiophore. The solitary conidia are cymbiform, slightly apiculate, 5.0–6.0 × 3.0–4.0 μm. Phylogenetic analyses with partial rRNA and β-tubulin gene sequences confirmed the fungus as an Hirsutella (Ophiocordycipitaceae). Closest species shown by maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining trees were H. nodulosa and H. aphidis, from which the new species differs for conidium or conidiogenous cells dimensions, lack of synnemata and host type. A recombination event was also detected in the rRNA of the holotype strain, involving Ophiocordyceps sinensis as major parent and O. cochlidiicola as minor parent. A complement, inverted insertion was also found in its rRNA, involving part of the ITS2 and 5.8S regions, flanked by two short nucleotide arrays. Due to conidia dimension and phylogenetic position, the fungus is described as Hirsutella tunicata sp. nov. A review of mononematous Hirsutella species is provided.     

Myxotrichum albicans,a new slowly-growing species isolated from forest litters in China

Myxotrichum albicans sp. nov. is a slowly-growing fungal species that was isolated from forest litters in northeast of China. The new species is morphologically characterized by its white colonies on CMA, PCA, PDA, and YMA, thallic conidiogenous cells, simple, catenate and hyaline conidia. Phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences also supported the placement of M. albicans as a new species in the genus Myxotrichum. To compare with related species, the optimal pH and temperature for growth were investigated. The differences among Myxotrichum (Oidiodendron) species producing hyaline conidia were discussed.     

Polyphasic characterization of Plectosphaerella oligotrophica,a new oligotrophic species from China

Oligotrophic fungi can grow on carbon-free media. Most of the currently known oligotrophic fungi were reported from soil. Plectosphaerella oligotrophica sp. nov. was recently isolated from soil in China using a low carbon medium. The new species is morphologically characterized by pale yellow colonies on PDA, phialidic conidiogenous cells, and hyaline, ellipsoidal and 0–1-septate conidia. Phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA sequences confirmed the placement of P. oligotrophica as a new species in the genus Plectosphaerella. The new species is compared to the morphologically and phylogenetically closely related species. Beta-tubulin fragments from the new species were also sequenced and deposited in GenBank. A key to the currently accepted species of the genus is provided.     

Minimelanolocus bicolorata sp. nov., Paradendryphiopsis elegans sp. nov. and Corynesporella bannaense sp. nov. from southern China

Minimelanolocus bicolorata sp. nov., Paradendryphiopsis elegans sp. nov. and Corynesporella bannaense sp. nov., are described and illustrated. Minimelanolocus bicolorata is unique in possessing the schizolytic conidial secession and solitary, acropleurogenous, holoblastic conidia that are ellipsoidal, 3-euseptate, 30–35 × 7.5–9.5 μm, verruculose, pale brown, with an appendage at each end. Paradendryphiopsis elegans is characterized by monoblastic conidiogenous cells producing short chains of conidia that are 13–30.5 × 4–6.5 μm, 2–3-euseptate and fusiform to obclavate. Corynesporella bannaense is distinguished by terminal and integrated or discrete, monotretic conidiogenous cells that arise as lateral branches from the tip of the conidiophore and solitary conidia that are 12–16-distoseptate, smooth, obclavate, thick-walled, pale brown, and 100–140 × 10–14 μm. Keys to species of Minimelanolocus, Paradendryphiopsis and Corynesporella are provided.     

Two new species of Solicorynespora from Spain

Solicorynespora insolita sp. nov. and Solicory-nespora biseptata sp. nov., collected from plant debris in natural areas of Spain, are described and illustrated. The former species is characterized by obclavate to fusiform, 4- to 7-septate, dark brown conidia, with a mucous tunica at the apex; sometimes with an unusual oblong to bacilliform, hyaline, phialidic conidial synanamorph arising from the apical cell. Analysis of D1/D2 region rDNA sequences revealed that this fungus is related to members of the family Kirschsteiniotheliaceae of the Dothideomycetes. Solicorynespora biseptata is distinguished by obclavate, 2-septate, brown, but pale brown at the apex, smooth conidia. This latter fungus did not grow in culture. A key to species of Solicorynespora is provided.     

Erysiphe azerbaijanica and E. linderae: Two new powdery mildew species (Erysiphales) belonging to the Microsphaera lineage of Erysiphe

Two new species, Erysiphe azerbaijanica on Castanea sativa and E. linderae on Lindera praecox, both belonging to the Microsphaera lineage of the genus Erysiphe are described based on morphological and molecular data. Erysiphe azerbaijanica is distinguished from other Erysiphe species occurring on Castanea spp. by its cylindrical conidia with a length/width ratio of 2–3.6, longer conidiophore, and foot-cells. Molecular analyses indicated that this species forms a clade of its own, supporting the morphological observations. Molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that E. blasti s. lat. is divided into two genetically differentiated groups associated with different host species. Based on the sequence differences in the 28S rRNA gene and ITS region, connected with differences in the number and length of appendages, the fungus on L. praecox is described as a new species, E. linderae.     

Four new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma</Emphasis> with hyaline ascospores from central China

Collections of Trichoderma producing hyaline ascospores from central China were examined. Four new species, Trichoderma asterineum, T. henanense, T. odoratum and T. pseudobritdaniae, were discovered, described and illustrated. Their phylogenetic positions were explored based on sequence analyses of the combined RNA polymerase II subunit b (rpb2) and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef1) genes. As a sister of T. leguminosarum, T. asterineum can be easily recognised by its pale yellow stromata, ochre to brown ostiolar dots surrounded by stellate cracks, green conidia and slow growth. Trichoderma henanense is distinctive in pulvinate or discoid, dirty yellow to brownish yellow stromata, brown to dark brown ostiolar dots, small monomorphic ascospores in relatively short asci and white colonies with dense aerial hyphae in cultures. Trichoderma odoratum forms an independent lineage as a sister of T. henanense and is characterised by yellow to greyish yellow, pulvinate stromata with dark brown or reddish brown projecting ostiolar dots, slow growth, trichoderma- to verticillium-like conidiophores, hyaline conidia and producing a mushroom-like odour in culture. Trichoderma pseudobritdaniae is closely associated with but easily separated from T. britdaniae in pulvinate, brownish yellow or greyish yellow stromata with dark brown or grey black ostiolar dots, relatively large perithecia, monomorphic ascospores, somewhat low growth rate, trichoderma- to verticillium-like conidiophores and hyaline conidia. Morphological distinctions and sequence divergences between the new species and their close relatives are discussed.     

Fungal Olecranon Bursitis in an Immunocompetent Patient by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Knoxdaviesia dimorphospora</Emphasis> sp. nov.: Case Report and Review

Bursitis is a common medical condition that can occur either with or without infection. We present a case of fungal olecranon bursitis in an immunocompetent individual caused by the new species Knoxdaviesia dimorphospora. It is a dematiaceous filamentous fungus characterized by the production of two different conidia: hyaline and cylindrical, which rise up from phialidic conidiogenous cells located in the upper part of differentiated and unbranched conidiophores, and pale brown and ellipsoidal conidia produced by phialidic conidiogenous cells which are born directly on hyphae. In addition to its morphological peculiarities, the novelty of the fungus was confirmed by sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and D1/D2 domains of the 28S of the nuclear rRNA gene. The fungal infection was confirmed by cytological examination and repeated cultures. The infection was resolved by surgical debridement and drainage, and the patient presented a complete functional recovery 3 months later. The in vitro antifungal susceptibility to this new human opportunist is provided, terbinafine being the drug with the most potent activity.     

Aspergillus asperescens n. sp.

Summary A newAspergillus species,Aspergillus asperescens, is described. Three strains of this fungus have been isolated from soil and dung of bats in caves in Great-Britain and Poland. It is characterized by a yellow green colour, radiate conidial heads, two series of sterigmata, a brown conidiophore, hülle cells and subglobose conidia, which are smooth in young and rough in old cultures.     

Novel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Collophorina</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coniochaeta</Emphasis> species from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Euphorbia polycaulis</Emphasis>, an endemic plant in Iran

During a study on the biodiversity of yeasts and yeast-like ascomycetes from wild plants in Iran, four strains of yeast-like filamentous fungi were isolated from a healthy plant of Euphorbia polycaulis in the Qom Province, Iran (IR. of). All four strains formed small hyaline one-celled conidia from integrated conidiogenous cells directly on hyphae and sometimes on discrete phialides, as well as by microcyclic conidiation. Two strains additionally produced conidia in conidiomata that open by rupture. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences suggested the placement of these strains in the genera Collophorina (Leotiomycetes) and Coniochaeta (Sordariomycetes), respectively. Blast search results on NCBI GenBank and phylogenetic analyses of ITS, the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and the translation elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) sequences, and the nuclear large subunit ribosomal gene (LSU), partial actin (ACT), and β-tubulin (TUB) sequences, respectively, revealed the isolates to belong to three new species, that are described here as Collophorina euphorbiae, Coniochaeta iranica, and C. euphorbiae. All three species are characterised by morphological, physiological, and molecular data.     

Tubeufia asiana, the teleomorph of Aquaphila albicans in the tubeufiaceae, pleosporales, based on cultural and molecular data

The teleomorph of Aquaphila albicans was discovered on submerged wood collected in Thailand. Its black, soft-textured, setose ascomata, bitunicate asci and hyaline to pale brown, multiseptate ascospores indicated an affinity to Tubeufiaceae (Dothideomycetes). After morphological or molecular comparisons with related species in Tubeufia, Acanthostigma and Taphrophila, it is described and illustrated as a new species, T. asiana Sivichai & K.M. Tsui, sp. nov. Finding this Tubeufia teleomorph was surprising, given the falcate conidia of its A. albicans anamorph, which superficially resemble the conidia of Fusarium and not the coiled, helicosporous conidia of other species in Tubeufiaceae. We assessed the phylogenetic relationships of A. albicans-T. asiana with ribosomal sequences from SSU and ITS and partial LSU regions by parsimony and Bayesian analysis. An initial set of 40 taxa representing a wide range of ascomycete families and their SSU sequences from GenBank showed A. albicans-T. asiana to be nested within the Tubeufiaceae with 100% bootstrap support. Their placement was inferred with ITS and partial LSU ribosomal sequences. The nearly identical ITS sequences of two isolates of A. albicans and one isolate of Tubeufia asiana united these fungi as a monophyletic group with 100% bootstrap support and further nested them, with 88% bootstrap support, in a clade containing Helicoon gigantisporum and Helicoma chlamydosporum. This is the first molecular phylogenetic study to place a nonhelicosporous species within the Tubeufiaceae and to show that helical conidia were lost at least once within the family.     

Coniochaeta polymorpha, a new species from endotracheal aspirate of a preterm neonate, and transfer of Lecythophora species to Coniochaeta

A new species of Coniochaeta from endotracheal secretion of a preterm neonate, Coniochaeta polymorpha, is described. This anamorphic species is characterized by development of dark brown colonies after 1 week of incubation on culture medium, formation of abundant yeast-like cells and sclerotium-like structures producing discrete, brown, nearly globose phialidic conidiogenous cells and absence of chlamydospores. A combined sequence dataset of the ITS region, partial LSU rDNA, actin and β-tubulin genes sufficiently resolved the unique phylogenetic status of this species. In response to recent changes in the nomenclature for pleomorphic fungi, we transfer the Lecythophora species to Coniochaeta, and propose the following new combinations: Coniochaeta canina, Coniochaeta cateniformis, Coniochaeta decumbens, Coniochaeta fasciculata, Coniochaeta hoffmannii, Coniochaeta lignicola, Coniochaeta luteorubra, Coniochaeta luteoviridis and Coniochaeta mutabilis.     

Emericella qinqixianii, a new species from desert soil in China

Emericella qinqixianii, a new species isolated from desert soil from Sanchakou, Aksu, Qiemo, Yuli, Yutian, and the Taklimakan desert 100 km inland from Minfeng, Xinjiang Province, China, is described and illustrated. It is characterized by grayish yellow to olive brown, non-ostiolate ascomata surrounded by hyaline to pale yellowish brown hülle cells, membranaceous peridium, prototunicate asci, and violet-brown, lenticular ascospores with two equatorial crests, smooth convex surfaces, and long filiform appendages. It hasAspergillus anamorph with biseriate aspergilla.     

Torrubiella pruinosa,a teliomorph of an entomopathogenic fungus Hirsutella versicolor of mango hopper (Idioscopus clypealis) from India

Torrubeilla pruinosa, a teliomorph of an anamorphic entomopathogenic fungus Hirsutella versicolor on mango hopper (Idioscopus clypealis) was observed. On the infected mango hopper, tiny pin head signs of ascomata were observed. Ascomata of T. pruinosa is pale brown or tawny brown, crowded, immersed in stroma, wall dark golden brown, 260–320?×?230–260?μm, asci clavate, hyaline and thin walled. The ascospores of T. pruinosa are fusiform, distoseptate with a faint tint of pigmentation, 17.5–25.0?×?5.0–7.5?μm. The anamorph stage of H. versicolor fungal hyphae is hyaline, septate and profusely branched, and conidiogenous (phialides) cells are hyaline, pear-shaped and smooth-walled with single or double sterigmata and rarely, multiple sterigmata. Each sterigmata bears single conidia which are hyaline, oval to pear-shaped.     

Description ofAvesicladiella gen. nov. (hyphomycetes) for two undescribed leaf litter microfungi

The new hyphomycete genusAvesicladiella with two species,A. britannica sp. nov., type species, andA. microsperma sp. nov., is described and illustrated. Both species are leaf litter microfungi. The genus closely resemblesVesicladiella, Circinotrichum, Gyrothrix, Ceratocladium andVermiculariopsiella, several hyphomycete genera with comparable characters such as superficial hyphal networks; production of setae; absence of conidiophores; lageniform or ampulliform conidiogenous cells; and hyaline aseptate conidia produced in clusters around the apices of conidiogenous cells. The new genus differs from these by its hyaline, septate setae, typical ‘phialidic’ conidiogenous cells, and hyaline, aseptate cylindrical conidia.     

Three new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spadicoides</Emphasis> from Lushan Mountain,China

Spadicoides lushanensis sp. nov., S. multiseptata sp. nov. and S. rostrata sp. nov. are described and illustrated from specimens collected on dead branches of unidentified plants in Lushan Mountain, China. Spadicoides lushanensis is characterized by obclavate, rostrate, pale brown, 40–65?×?4.5–5.5 μm, smooth, 6–8-euseptate conidia. Spadicoides multiseptata is easily distinguished by obclavate, smooth, 11–15-euseptate, 65–115?×?11.5–13 μm, brown to pale brown conidia with a subacute apex. Spadicoides rostrata differs from other described Spadicoides species by obclavate, rostrate, pale brown, 40–65?×?10.5–12.5 μm, smooth, predominantly 5-euseptate conidia. A dichotomous key to Spadicoides species is provided.