Phylogenetic and morphological classification of Ophiocordyceps species on termites from Thailand

Abstract

Seven new species occurring on termites are added to Ophiocordyceps – O.asiatica, O.brunneirubra, O.khokpasiensis, O.mosingtoensis, O.pseudocommunis, O.pseudorhizoidea and O.termiticola, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. O.brunneirubra possesses orange to reddish-brown immersed perithecia on cylindrical to clavate stromata. O.khokpasiensis, O.mosingtoensis and O.termiticola have pseudo-immersed perithecia while O.asiatica, O.pseudocommunis and O.pseudorhizoidea all possess superficial perithecia, reminiscent of O.communis and O.rhizoidea. Phylogenetic analyses based on a combined dataset comprising the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and the largest subunit (LSU) of the ribosomal DNA, partial regions of the elongation factor 1-α (TEF) and the largest and second largest subunits for the RNA polymerase genes (RPB1, RPB2) strongly support the placement of these seven new species in Ophiocordyceps.