Kathie T. Hodge

Tolypocladium inflatum is the anamorph of Cordyceps subsessilis

A collection of Cordyceps subsessilis is doc- umented. Axenic cultures of single part ascospores produced an anamorph attributable to the common soil hyphomycete Tolypocladium inflatum (= T ni- veum). Efrapeptins were identified in culture filtrates of the anamorph. The efrapeptin profile of the C. subsessilis anamorph was found to be similar to that

A monograph of the entomopathogenic genera Hypocrella, Moelleriella, and Samuelsia gen. nov. (Ascomycota, Hypocreales, Clavicipitaceae), and their aschersonia-like anamorphs in the Neotropics

The present taxonomic revision deals with Neotropical species of three entomopathogenic genera that were once included in Hypocrella s. l.: Hypocrella s. str. (anamorph Aschersonia), Moelleriella (anamorph aschersonia-like), and Samuelsia gen. nov (anamorph aschersonia-like). Species of Hypocrella, Moelleriella, and Samuelsia are pathogens of scale insects (Coccidae and Lecaniidae, Homoptera) and whiteflies (Aleyrodidae, Homoptera) and are common in tropical regions. Phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences from nuclear ribosomal large subunit (28S), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF 1-α), and RNA polymerase II subunit 1 (RPB1) and analyses of multiple morphological characters demonstrate that the three segregated genera can be distinguished by the disarticulation of the ascospores and shape and size of conidia. Moelleriella has filiform multi-septate ascospores that disarticulate at the septa within the ascus and aschersonia-like anamorphs with fusoid conidia. Hypocrella s. str. has filiform to long-fusiform ascospores that do not disarticulate and Aschersonia s. str. anamorphs with fusoid conidia. The new genus proposed here, Samuelsia, has filiform to long-fusiform ascospores that do not disarticulate and aschersonia-like anamorphs with small allantoid conidia. In addition, the present study presents and discusses the evolution of species, morphology, and ecology in Hypocrella, Moelleriella, and Samuelsia based on multigene phylogenetic analyses.

Diversity and Aggressiveness of Rhizoctonia solani and Rhizoctonia-like Fungi on Vegetables in New York

Vegetable growers in New York, especially those growing table beets, have recently observed that the corn rotation is no longer effective in suppressing diseases caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Rhizoctonia-like fungi. To investigate this problem, 68 isolates of Rhizoctonia solani and Rhizoctonia-like fungi infecting vegetables in New York were isolated, characterized, and their pathogenicity on corn determined. Sequence analysis of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region inferred 26 isolates to belong to R. solani anastomosis group (AG) 2-2 and 19 isolates to belong to AG 4. Remaining isolates belonged to AG 1, AG 2-1, AG 5, AG 11, Ceratobasidium AG (CAG) 2, CAG 6, and Waitea circinata var. zeae. This is a first report of AG 11 and W. circinata var. zeae recovered from naturally infected vegetables in New York. Pathogenicity tests on corn showed that the majority of isolates are pathogenic on corn, and isolates belonging to AG 2-2, AG 5, and AG 11 exhibited high aggressiveness. These results suggest that certain strains of R. solani and Rhizoctonia-like fungi infecting vegetables in New York have acquired the ability to infect corn. In addition, snap bean was inoculated with seven isolates exhibiting low to high aggressiveness on corn, and a correlation between aggressiveness on corn and snap bean was observed.

Use of RAPD analysis to trace the origin of the weevil pathogen Zoophthora phytonomi in North America.

In North America, the fungal pathogen Zoophthora phytonomi has been known to cause significant levels of infection in introduced clover leaf weevil populations, Hypera punctata , since 1885. This pathogen was never noted in introduced populations of alfalfa weevil, H. postica , sympatric with clover leaf weevil until 1973 when it was found in alfalfa weevil in Ontario. From 1973 through 1981, Z. phytonomi was progressively found further south from Ontario. Whether these reports of Z. phytonomi infecting H. postica actually demonstrate spread by a novel genotype has previously been proposed and disputed. PCR-RAPD analysis was used to compare isolates of Z. phytonomi from both hosts in North America, and from H. postica in Israel with Z. radicans and Conidiobolus osmodes as outgroups. Both phenetic and cladistic analyses demonstrate that two main genotypes of Z. phytonomi occur in North America; one genotype including only H. punctata isolates with a second more homogeneous and principally including isolates from H. postica . The genotype principally including isolates from H. postica was more closely related to isolates from H. postica in Israel than to the other North American group, but also included one isolate from H. punctata . Based on affinity with Israeli genotypes, this latter strain may have originated in the Eurasian areas where H. postica is endemic. The degree of host specificity of these two North American genotypes of Z. phytonomi will require further investigation.

Lectotypification and status of Isaria Pers.: Fr

The nomenclatural status and history of the generic name Isaria are reviewed. Authorship and typification are discussed, and we conclude that Isaria Pers. : Fr. is a validly published generic name that has previously beeneffectively and appropriately lectotypified by Isaria farinosa (Holm : Fr.) Fr. A lectotype illustration and an epitype specimen are designated for I. farinosa. We suggest that the name Isaria be used for species previously assigned to Paecilomyces section Isarioidea Samson. Further taxonomic studies are required to determine the appropriate circumscription of Isaria. Our conclusions preserve a Friesian genus in a familiar sense.

PCR-RFLP is used to investigate relations among species in the entomopathogenic genera Eryniopsis and Entomophaga

The shape and nucleation of primary conidia are important characters in the classification of the Entomophthoraceae (Zygomycetes). The five species in the genus Eryniopsis vary in the shapes of primary conidia, although within most genera in the order Entomophthorales species have the same shapes of primary conidia. Using PCR-RFLP, we investigated two species in Eryniopsis, Ery. caroliniana with oblong-ovoid primary conidia and Ery. ptychopterae with pear-shaped primary conidia, with five species of Entomophaga, all having pear-shaped conidia. Molecular results merged with morphological data indicate that Ery. ptychopterae belongs in the genus Entomophaga while Ery. caroliniana clearly differs from Entomophaga. Ery. ptychopterae and Ery. transitans are transferred to the genus Entomophaga. Our results support the idea that morphology of primary conidia is of major importance in defining entomophthoralean genera. These results also show that such studies can be conducted with species that have not been isolated, if fungal-filled cadavers can be obtained.

Two Harposporium species with Hirsutella synanamorphs

Two nematode-parasitic isolates of Harposporium are reported to form synanamorphs attributable to the Hirsutella . One is attributed to Harposporium anguillulae , the second is described as a new species, H. cerberi. H. cerberi also produced an arthroconidial synanamorph. In infection studies of nematodes, conidia typical of Harposporium proved to be capable of killing bacterial feeding nematodes ( Rhabditis sp.) when ingested. Infective conidia of H. cerberi were located posterior to the oesophageal bulb, while those of H. anguillulae lodged above it. Hirsutella conidia were not observed to be infective or adhesive, and none of the spore forms was capable of infecting either of two species of stylet-bearing nematodes ( Aphelenchus sp. and Meloidogyne hapla ).

Cordyceps variabilis and the genus Syngliocladium

Cordyceps variabilis has long been errone- ously reported to be a pathogen of beetle larvae; studies of newly collected and herbarium specimens revealed that C. variabilis attacks fly larvae, particu- larly those of the family Xylophagidae (Diptera). An emended description of C. variabilis is provided and a lectotype designated. The anamorph of C. variabilis is reported here for the first time, and is attributed to the hyphomycetous genus Syngliocladium. An al- lied species, S. tetanopsis sp. nov. is reported as a pathogen of larvae of Tetanops myopaeformis, the sug- ar beet root maggot (Diptera: Otitidae). The taxon- omy of the genus Syngliocladium is briefly reviewed, and the generic concept emended.

A new species of Hypocrella, H. macrostroma, and its phylogenetic relationships to other species with large stromata.

Two specimens of a new species of Hypocrella with large stromata were collected in Bolivia and Costa Rica. The morphology of the new species, H. macrostroma sp. nov., was compared with that of other species with large stromata, i.e. H. africana, H. gaertneriana, and H. schizostachyi. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of partial sequences from three genes, large subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA (LSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-alpha), and RNA polymerase II subunit 1 (RPB1), were conducted to determine the relationships of the new species to other species of Hypocrella/Aschersonia. Phylogenetic analyses show that H. macrostroma belongs to a strongly supported clade that includes H. africana, H. schizostachyi, and Aschersonia insperata, whereas other Hypocrella species belong to two sister clades. Hypocrella macrostroma is described and illustrated, and a lectotype is designated for H. gaertneriana.

Hypocrella zhongdongii sp. nov., the teleomorph of aschersonia incrassata.

A new Hypocrella species with white pulvinate stromata collected in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica is described as H. zhongdongii sp. nov. Morphological and molecular evidence confirms that the new species of Hypocrella is the teleomorph of Aschersonia incrassata. It most closely resembles H. andropogonis; both A. incrassata and A. andropogonis are common yellow-spored species. The relationships of H. zhongdongii with other species in the genus are elucidated through phylogenetic analyses of three different genetic loci (LSU, RPB2, and mtSSU). Our analysis also sheds light on current subgeneric concepts in Aschersonia, in which the presence or absence of conidiomatal paraphyses is a major character to separate the genus into two subgenera. The present phylogenetic tree suggests that paraphyses have been lost or gained multiple times during evolutionary history, and do not define monophyletic groups.