More pieces to a huge puzzle: Two new Escovopsis species from fungus gardens of attine ants

• Published in: MycoKeys (Sofia, Bulgaria) Vol. 46; no. 46; pp. 97 - 118
• Main Authors: Montoya, Quimi Vidaurre, Martiarena, Maria Jesus Sutta, Danilo Augusto Polezel, Akazu, Sérgio, Rodrigues, Andre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 18-02-2019
• Subjects: Brazil; Escovopsis; Fungi; Fungus gardens; Genetic diversity; Hypocreaceae; Hypocreales; New species; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Physical characteristics; rRNA; Spacer; Taxonomy; Translation elongation; Vesicles; Symbiosis; Phylogeny; Hypocreales; Taxonomy; Parasitic fungi
• ISSN: 1314-4057; 1314-4049
• DOI: 10.3897/mycokeys.46.30951

(Ascomycota: Hypocreales, Hypocreaceae) is the only known parasite of the mutualistic fungi cultivated by fungus-growing ants (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Attini: Attina, the "attines"). Despite its ecological role, the taxonomy and systematics of
have been poorly addressed. Here, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses with three molecular markers (internal transcribed spacer, large subunit ribosomal RNA and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha), we describe
and
as new species isolated from fungus gardens of
ant species. Our analysis shows that
and
belong to the most derived
clade, whose main character is the presence of conidiophores with vesicles. Nevertheless, the most outstanding feature of both new species is the presence of a swollen region in the central hypha of the conidiophore named swollen cell, which is absent in all previously described
species. The less derived
clades lack vesicles and their phylogenetic position within the Hypocreaceae still remains unclear. Considering the high genetic diversity in
, the description of these new species adds barely two pieces to a huge taxonomic puzzle; however, this discovery is an important piece for building the systematics of this group of fungi.