Multigene phylogeny and morphology reveal a new species, Ophiocordyceps tettigonia, from Guizhou Province, China

Scientists have identified a new species of Ophiocordyceps, named Ophiocordyceps tettigonia, from the Chishui Danxia natural world heritage site in Guizhou Province, China. This discovery was made through morpho-phylogenetic studies and genetic analysis, which revealed distinct morphological and genetic characteristics that differentiate it from other known species. Notably, this new species is associated with an adult Tettigonia host and features unusually wide secondary ascospores. The research utilized combined sequence data from four gene loci (ITS, SSU, TEF, and RPB1) to confirm its uniqueness, providing valuable insights into the biodiversity of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

WEN, T.-C., XIAO, Y.-P., ZHA, L.-S., HYDE, K. D., & KANG, J.-C. (2016). Multigene phylogeny and morphology reveal a new species, Ophiocordyceps tettigonia, from Guizhou Province, China. Phytotaxa, 280(2). https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.280.2.4