Five new species of Gloeandromyces (Fungi, Laboulbeniales) from tropical American bat flies (Diptera, Streblidae), revealed by morphology and phylogenetic reconstruction.

This paper describes and illustrates five new species of Gloeandromyces (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniales) associated with tropical American bat flies (Diptera, Streblidae). These are Gloeandromyces cusucoensis sp. nov. from Trichobius uniformis in Costa Rica and Honduras, G. diversiformis sp. nov. from Strebla wiedemanni in Costa Rica, G. plesiosaurus sp. nov. from Trichobius yunkeri in Panama, G. pseudodickii sp. nov. from Trichobius longipes in Ecuador and Panama, and G. verbekeniae sp. nov. from Strebla galindoi in Ecuador and Panama. The description of these five species doubles the number of known species in the genus. Morphological characteristics, host association, and a three-locus (18S nuc rDNA, 28S nuc rDNA, TEF1) phylogenetic reconstruction support placement of these taxa in the genus Gloeandromyces. Three of the new species are polymorphic; they have multiple morphotypes that grow in specific positions on the host integument: G. diversiformis f. diversiformis, f. musiformis, and f. vanillicarpiformis; G. plesiosaurus f. asymmetricus and f. plesiosaurus; and G. verbekeniae f. verbekeniae and f. inflexus. Finally, a dichotomous key to all species and morphotypes is presented.

Importance of type specimen study for understanding genus boundaries-taxonomic clarifications in Lepidoderma based on integrative taxonomy approach leading to resurrection of the old genus Polyschismium.

Type specimens of four species of Lepidoderma (Myxomycetes, Amoebozoa)-L. crassipes, L. neoperforatum, L. perforatum, and L. stipitatum-have been studied using an integrative approach including application of traditional taxonomy methods, i.e., morphological study under stereoscopic and compound microscopes, detailed analysis of micromorphological characters using scanning electron microscopy, and molecular analysis by way of Sanger sequencing of molecular markers (nuc 18S rDNA and elongation factor 1-alpha gene, EF1A). Results of the study revealed that L. crassipes is conspecific with L. tigrinum, L. stipitatum is a malformed specimen of Diderma floriforme, whereas L. perforatum and L. neoperforatum represent two well-defined morphologically and genetically separate species. Phylogeny of Physarales shows the polyphyletic character of the genus Lepidoderma. The type species of Lepidoderma clusters together with Diderma, whereas other representatives of this genus form a monophyletic, well-supported clade. The species from this clade are proposed to belong to the genus Polyschismium described by A. Corda in 1842 that is resurrected and emended here. Nine species of Lepidoderma are transferred to Polyschismium. A new key to Didymiaceae including Polyschismium is provided.

Geosmithia Species Associated With Bark Beetles From China, With the Description of Nine New Species.

Fungi of the genus Geosmithia are frequently associated with bark beetles that feed on phloem on various woody hosts. Most studies on Geosmithia were carried out in North and South America and Europe, with only two species being reported from Taiwan, China. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of Geosmithia species in China. Field surveys in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Shanghai, and Yunnan yielded a total of 178 Geosmithia isolates from 12 beetle species. The isolates were grouped based on morphology. The internal transcribed spacer, ß-tubulin, and elongation factor 1-α gene regions of the representatives of each group were sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on those sequences. In total, 12 species were identified, with three previously described species (Geosmithia xerotolerans, G. putterillii, and G. pallida) and nine new species which are described in this paper as G. luteobrunnea, G. radiata, G. brevistipitata, G. bombycina, G. granulata (Geosmithia sp. 20), G. subfulva, G. pulverea (G. sp. 3 and Geosmithia sp. 23), G. fusca, and G. pumila sp. nov. The dominant species obtained in this study were G. luteobrunnea and G. pulverea. This study systematically studied the Geosmithia species in China and made an important contribution to filling in the gaps in our understanding of global Geosmithia species diversity.

Brahmaculus gen. nov. (Leotiomycetes, Chlorociboriaceae).

A second genus in Chlorociboriaceae is described here as Brahmaculus gen. nov. Macroscopically distinctive, all species have bright yellow apothecia with several apothecial cups held on short branches at the tip of a long stipe. The genus is widely distributed across the Southern Hemisphere; the four new species described here include two from Chile (B. magellanicus sp. nov., B. osornoensis sp. nov.) and one each from New Zealand (B. moonlighticus sp. nov.) and Australia (B. packhamiae sp. nov.). They differ from species referred to Chlorociboria, the only other genus in Chlorociboriaceae, in their terrestrial habitat and ascomata that are noticeably more hairy than the known Chlorociboria species, most of which have apothecia with short, macroscopically indistinct hair-like elements. Based on our analyses, Chlorociboria as accepted here is paraphyletic. Additional study is needed to clarify where alternative, monophyletic generic limits should be drawn and how these genera may be recognised morphologically. Also described here are three new Chlorociboria spp. from New Zealand (C. metrosideri sp. nov., C. solandri sp. nov., C. subtilis sp. nov.), distinctive in developing on dead leaves rather than wood and in two of them not forming the green pigmentation characteristic of most Chlorociboria species. New Zealand specimens previously incorrectly identified as Chlorociboria argentinensis are provided with a new name, C. novae-zelandiae sp. nov.

Phylogenetic revision of South American Teloschistaceae (lichenized Ascomycota, Teloschistales) reveals three new genera and species.

Members of the poorly investigated family Teloschistaceae in South America, mostly from Bolivia and Peru, were examined using molecular and morphological data here for the first time. In recent phylogenetic reclassifications of Teloschistaceae, South American representatives were poorly represented but shown to belong to subfamilies Teloschistoideae and Xanthorioideae. In this study, we expanded the sampling of South American taxa and investigated mainly the lobate, sublobate, and squamulose members of Caloplaca s.l., using morphological characters and a molecular phylogeny based on a combined three-locus data set (one mitochondrial and two nuclear loci). Building upon new phylogenies at the family and subfamily levels (Teloschistoideae), we propose here three new genera: Andina, Aridoplaca, and Cinnabaria, with the type species Andina citrinoides, Aridoplaca peltata, and Cinnabaria boliviana. We also propose to reduce Tarasginia to synonymy with Sirenophila and Tayloriellina to synonymy with Villophora and introduce three new combinations: Dufourea ottolangei, D. volkmarwirthii, and Villophora erythrosticta. Scutaria andina is reported as new to Bolivia. A critical revision of the subfamily Brownlielloideae confirmed recent findings that it is an artifactual taxon based on a "chimeric" data set, with the type genus being part of Teloschistoideae.

A revision of Agaricus section Arvenses with nine new species from China.

Agaricus sect. Arvenses includes numerous species that are potential candidates for cultivation, and some have high nutritional and medicinal interests. Between 2012 and 2017, 147 specimens of A. sect. Arvenses were collected in China. For this study, nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS), nuc 28S rDNA (28S), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) sequences were used to assess species boundaries of these samples from China. Combined with morphological examination, we recognize 22 species of A. sect. Arvenses from China, of which 12 are known species, one is new record for China, and nine are proposed as new.

Nine novel species of Huntiella from southern China with three distinct mating strategies and variable levels of pathogenicity.

The ascomycete genus Huntiella (Microascales) has a cosmopolitan distribution and occurs on a wide range of woody plants. Little is known regarding the identity, diversity, origin, or impact of these fungi in China. Recently, isolates of Huntiella spp. were collected from stumps of freshly felled trees or wounds on plantation-grown Eucalyptus in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan provinces of southern China. Additional isolates were obtained from stumps of Acacia confusa near Eucalyptus plantations in Hainan Province. The aim of this study was to identify these Huntiella species and to test their pathogenicity on Eucalyptus seedlings. Morphology and multigene phylogenies of the nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) region and partial ß-tubulin (BT1) and translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1α) genes revealed nine previously unknown Huntiella species, eight from Eucalyptus and one from A. confusa. The mating types of these species were determined, showing that seven are heterothallic, one is homothallic, and one is unisexual (MAT1-2-1 gene). Pathogenicity tests showed that the nine Huntiella species can produce lesions on Eucalyptus seedlings, larger than wounds caused by controls on these plants. This study provides a basic understanding of the distribution, diversity, and pathogenicity of Huntiella species in southern China.