Five new species of entomopathogenic fungi from the Amazon and evolution of neotropical Ophiocordyceps

Abstract

The neotropical biogeographic zone is a 'hot spot' of global biodiversity, especially for insects. Fungal pathogens of insects appear to track this diversity. However, the integration of this unique component of fungal diversity into molecular phylogenetic analyses remains sparse. The entomopathogenic fungal genus Ophiocordyceps is species rich in this region with the first descriptions dating to the early nineteenth century. In this study, material from various ecosystems throughout Colombia and Ecuador was examined. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear loci including SSU, LSU, TEF, RPB1, and RPB2 were conducted alongside a morphological evaluation. Thirty-five specimens were examined representing fifteen different species of Ophiocordyceps, and five new species, Ophiocordyceps blattarioides, Ophiocordyceps tiputini, Ophiocordyceps araracuarensis, Ophiocordyceps fulgoromorphila, and Ophiocordyceps evansii, were described. An accurate identification of the host allowed us to conclude that host identity and host habitat are positively correlated with phylogenetic species of Ophiocordyceps and are probably strong drivers for speciation of neotropical entomopathogenic fungi.

Metabolomic profile and nucleoside composition of Cordyceps nidus sp. nov. (Cordycipitaceae): A new source of active compounds

“…This suggests that species from KOH+ clade are a differentiated group, phylogenetically isolated by the host showing common environmental condition, i.e., low oxygen concentration. A similar analysis was carried out before recognizing that the species within the “ravanelli” clade in the Ophiocordycipitaceae family, i.e., Ophiocordyceps heteropoda , Ophiocordyceps gracillioides , Ophiocordyceps gracillis , Ophiocordyceps blattarioides , and Ophiocordyceps amazonica , are recognized as phylogenetic species due to their phylogenetic positions and by their host affiliation and stage of the host, rather than by the slight morphological differences among them [18]. Once again this confirms that the morphological characters in Cordyceps s.l.…”

“…In the case of spider nests, we extracted the specimens by digging deep around the site to preserve the complete specimen. Subsequently, a small piece of tissue from a stroma was submerged and stored in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) buffer (1.4 M NaCl; 100 mM TriseHCl pH 8.0; 20 mM EDTA pH 8.0; 2% CTAB w/v) for posterior DNA extraction [18]. The remaining part of the specimen was placed in a single plastic bag with silica gel for transportation and posterior manipulation in the laboratory.…”

Inordinate Fondness Multiplied and Redistributed: the Number of Species on Earth and the New Pie of Life

“…Similarly, despite the generalization that species of Hypocreales have broad host ranges, some lineages appear to be highly host-specific. For example, members of the genus Ophiocordyceps have been shown to be specific to their ant hosts (Evans et al 2011;Kobmoo et al 2012), and some recently discovered Ophiocordyceps species also appear to have strict host affiliations (Kobmoo et al 2015;Sanjuan et al 2015). Overall, it appears that at least some insect lineages harbor species-specific entomophathogenic fungi.…”

Cordyceps locustiphila (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) infecting the grasshopper pest Tropidacris collaris (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Romaleidae)

“…A phylogenetic classification based on molecular data separated the species across three families, Cordycipitaceae, Clavicipitaceae and Ophiocordycipitaceae (Sung et al 2007b, Sanjuan et al 2014. Cordyceps-like fungi have the highest species diversity in subtropical and tropical regions (Samson et al 1988) such as tropical areas of Brazil (Andrade 1980, Evans & Samson 1982, Evans et al 2011, Colombia (Kobayasi 1981, Sanjuan et al 2001, 2014, 2015 Ecuador (Kobayasi 1981, Evans & Samson 1982, and Bolivia (Mains 1959). In Argentina, these fungi had been found infecting different insects (Spegazzini 1919, Marchionatto 1945, Mains 1954, 1959, Yasem de Romero 1984, López Lastra 1989, Mueller & Rajchenberg 1991.…”