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

By

Zha, Ling-Sheng
Kryukov, Vadim
Ding, Jian-Hua
Jeewon, Rajesh
Chomnunti, Putarak

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

MycoKeys

Volume

78

Pages

79--117

Subjects

Elateridae , molecular phylogeny , Ophiocordyceps , taxonomy , Tenebrionidae , two new species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2011-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.78.61836

 

Abstract

Species ofCordycepssensu 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 withCordycepss.l. However, the species diversity ofCordycepss.l. on Elateroidea and Tenebrionoidea is poorly known. In the present work, we summarise taxonomic information of 63Cordycepss.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 ferruginosaandO. variabilis) are excluded. Two new species,O. borealisfrom Russia (Primorsky Krai) andO. spicatusfrom China (Guizhou), are described and compared with their closest allies.Polycephalomyces formosusis 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 ofP. formosus.