Novel taxa and species diversity of Cordyceps sensu lato (Hypocreales, Ascomycota) developing on wireworms (Elateroidea and Tenebrionoidea, Coleoptera)

Abstract

Species of Cordyceps sensu lato (Hypocreales, Sordariomycetes) have always attracted much scientific attention for their abundant species diversity, important medicinal values and biological control applications. The insect superfamilies Elateroidea and Tenebrionoidea are two large groups of Coleoptera and their larvae are generally called wireworms. Most wireworms inhabit humid soil or fallen wood and are often infected with Cordyceps s.l. However, the species diversity of Cordyceps s.l. on Elateroidea and Tenebrionoidea is poorly known. In the present work, we summarise taxonomic information of 63 Cordyceps s.l. species that have been reported as pathogens of wireworms. We review their hosts and geographic distributions and provide taxonomic notes for species. Of those, 60 fungal species are accepted as natural pathogens of wireworms and three species (Cordyceps militaris, Ophiocordyceps ferruginosa and O. variabilis) are excluded. Two new species, O. borealis from Russia (Primorsky Krai) and O. spicatus from China (Guizhou), are described and compared with their closest allies. Polycephalomyces formosus is also described because it is reported as a pathogen of wireworms for the first time. Phylogeny was reconstructed from a combined dataset, comprising SSU, LSU and TEF1-α gene sequences. The results, presented in this study, support the establishment of the new species and confirm the identification of P. formosus.

Four novel Pleurocordyceps (Polycephalomycetaceae) species from China

“…Some species are well known in the fields of agriculture and related industries, including Beauveria bassiana (biological control agent), Cordyceps militaris (medicinal), Metarhizium anisopliae (biological control agent), and Ophiocordyceps sinensis (medicinal) (Zimmermann, 2007 ; Acuña Jiménez et al, 2015 ; Li et al, 2020 ; Eiamthaworn et al, 2022 ). Thus, entomopathogenic fungi have gained the attention of researchers as a crucial fungal resource (Fernández-Grandon et al, 2020 ; Sharma et al, 2020 ; Sobczak et al, 2020 ; Zha et al, 2021 ).…”

Ophiocordyceps megala sp. nov (Ophiocordycepitaceae) enriches the species diversity of the O. sinensis-affined lineage

“…Ascospores are usually cylindrical, multiseptated, either disarticulating into part spores or remain whole after discharge (Sung et al, 2007). Species of Ophiocordyceps was distributed worldwide in the forest ecosystem of the meadow, tropics and subtropics (Petch 1933(Petch , 1937 Zha et al 2021). Although tropical and subtropical forests are the regions with the richest species diversity of Ophiocordyceps, alpine or plateau regions cannot be ignored either.…”