New mycoparasitic species in the genera Niveomyces and Pseudoniveomyces gen. nov. (Hypocreales Cordycipitaceae) with sporothrix-like asexual morphs from Thailand

Abstract

Four new species of the genus Niveomyces are described from Thailand. They were found as mycoparasites on: Ophiocordyceps infecting flies (Diptera) for Niveomyces albus; ants (Hymenoptera) for N. formicidarum; and leafhoppers (Hemiptera) for N. hirsutellae and N. multisynnematus. A new genus Pseudoniveomyces with two species: Pseudoniveo. blattae (type species) parasitic on Ophiocordyceps infecting cockroaches and Pseudoniveo. arachnovorum found on a spider egg sac are also described. These fungi share a common feature which is a sporothrix-like asexual morph. Based on our molecular data Sporothrix insectorum is shown to be affiliated to the genus Niveomyces and thus a new combination N. insectorum comb. nov. is proposed. Niveomyces coronatus N. formicidarum and N. insectorum formed the N. coronatus species complex found on ant-pathogenic Ophiocordyceps from different continents. Pseudoniveomyces species are distinguished from Niveomyces spp. based on the presence of fusoid macroconidia in culture and a red pigment diffused in the medium resembling to Gibellula and Hevansia. The molecular phylogenetic analyses also confirmed its generic status. The host/substrates associated with the genera within Cordycipitaceae were mapped onto the phylogeny to demonstrate that mycoparasitism also evolved independently multiple times in this family. ? 2023 Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute.