Ophiocordyceps halabalaensis: a new species of Ophiocordyceps pathogenic to Camponotus gigas in Hala Bala Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern Thailand

Several fungal pathogens of ants have been reported as members of the family Ophiocordycipitaceae in the order Hypocreales. Surveys in the south of Thailand have shown specimens showing characteristics that are morphologically similar to Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a very common ant pathogen, by pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fungal biology 2011-07, Vol.115 (7), p.608-614
Main Authors: Luangsa-Ard, J. Jennifer, Ridkaew, Rungpet, Tasanathai, Kanoksri, Thanakitpipattana, Donnaya, Hywel-Jones, Nigel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Ants - microbiology
Ascomycota
Ascospores
Camponotus
Camponotus gigas
DNA, Fungal - genetics
Elongation
Formicidae
Fungal Proteins - genetics
Host-specificity
Hypocreales - classification
Hypocreales - genetics
Hypocreales - isolation & purification
internal transcribed spacers
ITS rDNA
Molecular Sequence Data
New species
Ophiocordyceps
Ophiocordycipitaceae
Pathogens
Perithecia
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
ribosomal DNA
Spacer region
Spores, Fungal - genetics
Stroma
Taxonomy
Tef1
Thailand
Wildlife
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Description
Summary:Several fungal pathogens of ants have been reported as members of the family Ophiocordycipitaceae in the order Hypocreales. Surveys in the south of Thailand have shown specimens showing characteristics that are morphologically similar to Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, a very common ant pathogen, by producing a lateral pad on one side of the stroma and producing whole ascospores. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial elongation factor tef1-α and the internal transcribed spacer regions ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA have shown that this is a distinct species from O. unilateralis. The morphological characters of Ophiocordyceps halabalaensis differs from O. unilateralis in the possession of bigger perithecia and ascospores, and molecular analyses have shown that this ant-specific fungus is sufficiently different from O. unilateralis, deserving the naming of a new species. Aspects of morphology, host association/host-specificity, and taxonomic position are discussed.
ISSN:1878-6146
1878-6162
DOI:10.1016/j.funbio.2011.03.002