Ophiocordyceps cystidiata X. Zou, Zhong S. Xu & Y. D. Dai, 2025

Ophiocordyceps cystidiata X. Zou, Zhong S. Xu & Y. D. Dai sp. nov.

Fig. 3 View Figure 3

Etymology.

Cystidiata refers to the saccate mucous sheath that envelopes the conidium.

Holotype.

GZUIFR-2023 XY-OA 5 (Fig. 3 b View Figure 3 ), China • Guizhou Province: Baishi Mountains, Baiwanyao Village, Xingyi City (25°4'12"N, 99°10'12"E; altitude, 1720 m). These specimens were found on a larva of Hepialidae , buried in soil, collected in July 2023 by Zhongshun Xu, Binghui Zhou, Yongdong Dai, Huiling Tian, and Xiao Zou (ex-holotype: GZUIFR-2023 XY-OA 5 C ). (The GenBank accession numbers: nrSSU, PQ 497594; nrLSU, PQ 497634; rpb 1, PQ 516632; rpb 2, PQ 516636). GoogleMaps

Host.

The larvae of Hepialidae ( Lepidoptera ).

Description.

Stromata: Arising from the head the host, lignified, solitary, rarely branched, brown to yellow-brown, 60–146 mm long. Fertile part: Cylindrical, yellowish, without a sterile tip, surface spinous due to protruding ostioles, up to 18 × (0.8 -) 1.44 mm.

Perithecia: Immersed, ovoid to oblong-ovate, 355–434 × 178–220 μm. Asci: Cylindrical, hyaline, eight-spored ascus, 133–224 × 5–7 μm, apex thickened to form an ascus cap, hemispherical, 4.7–5.6 × 3.6–4.0 μm. Ascospores: Filiform, hyaline, irregular, multi-septate, non-disarticulating, 13.2–25.2 × 1.5–2.6 μm, with septa.

Asexual morph: Hirsutella - like

Colonies: On PDA, reaching 13–16 mm in diameter after two weeks at 20 ° C, round, irregularly swollen, initially light yellow, gradually changing color with an outer layer of white, an inner layer of rose red, and a central white protrusion. The back of the colony is rose red. Hyphae: The basal hyphae are hyaline, smooth-walled, and septate; the apical hyphae are verrucose (2.5–3.3 μm wide). Conidiogenous cells: Growing from verrucose apical hyphae, monophialidic, 22–56 µm long. The base is cylindrical, with an inflated structure near the bottom, tapering gradually into a slender neck. The base width measures 2.4–3.3 µm, and the neck width measures 0.9–1.4 µm. Conidia: Arising solitarily from the apex of conidiogenous cells, fusiform or orange-like shape, usually solitary, hyaline, smooth-walled, measuring 10–12 × 2.5–3.2 µm, often enveloped in a hyaline mucous sheath (1.5–3.0 µm thick).

Distribution and habitat.

The karst-landform forest of Xingyi City, Guizhou Province, China.

Additional specimens examined.

GZUIFR-2023 XY-OA 2 , 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (Fig. 3 f View Figure 3 ). Location: China. Guizhou Province: Baishi Mountains, Baiwanyao Village, Xingyi City (25°4'12"N, 99°10'12"E; altitude: 1710–1730 m). These specimens were found on a larva of Hepialidae sp. buried in soil, collected in July 2023 by Zhongshun Xu, Binghui Zhou, Yong-dong Dai, Huiling Tian, and Xiao Zou GoogleMaps .

Notes.

O. cystidiata is closely related to O. fenggangensis ( Peng et al. 2024) , O. musicaudata ( Peng et al. 2024) , O. alboperitheciata ( Fan et al. 2021) , and H. kuankuoshuiensis ( Qu et al. 2021) . Morphologically, O. cystidiata is similar to O. fenggangensis and O. musicaudata in the shape of the stromata, fertile part, and perithecia but it differs by its inconspicuous separate ascospores (Table 3 View Table 3 ). It also resembles H. kuankuoshuiensis in asexual morphology but differs in having phialides with a verrucose apex and conidia enveloped by a thickened mucous sheath.