Trichomycete gut fungi from tropical regions of the world

Fifty-nine species of gut fungi in the orders Harpellales and Asellariales, Class Trichomycetes, have been collected in eight tropical regions of the world, some species occurring in more than one geographic region. Regarding the Harpellales, the rather low number of taxa, compared to reports in more temperate localities, is due primarily to relatively few collections in the tropics, as well as the usually warmer waters found in tropical regions that often have a lower species richness of potential immature insect hosts. Asellariales in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial habitats, likewise, have been seldom inventoried in the tropics. Nonetheless, it is clear that the tropics are fertile grounds for discovering new genera and species, and future investigations will undoubtedly reveal many new taxa that will lead to a better understanding of the evolution and biogeography of Trichomycetes.