New Laboulbeniales parasitic on weevils from the Amazon rainforest
Author
Rossi, Walter
Sect. Environmental Sciences, Dept. MeSVA, University of L’Aquila, 67100 Coppito (AQ), Italy
Author
Torres, Juan A.
Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Calle Diego de Robles y Via Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
Author
Bernardi, Matteo
Sect. Environmental Sciences, Dept. MeSVA, University of L’Aquila, 67100 Coppito (AQ), Italy
text
Phytotaxa
2015
2015-10-20
231
2
187
192
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.231.2.8
journal article
10.11646/phytotaxa.231.2.8
1179-3163
13630241
Laboulbenia elephantina
W. Rossi, J.A. Torres et Bernardi
sp. nov.
Fig. 1A
MycoBank MB 814453
Etymology:
—From Latin
elephas
= elephant, because of the appendages remembering (with some imagination) the proboscis and the tusks of an elephant.
Original description:
—Basal of the receptacle and appendages hyaline; perithecial venter smoky brown, contrasting with the rest of the fungus that is tinged with pale gray. Basal and suprabasal cells long and slender, the former distinctly shorter than the latter. Cells III and IV subequal, slightly longer than broad. Cell V triangular, very small. Insertion cell free from the perithecium, distinctly narrower than the upper margin of cells IV and V. Outer appendage long, falcate, consisting of elongated cells almost equal in length but gradually narrower from below upwards. Inner appendage consisting of a small basal cell which gives rise to two horizontally divergent branchlets distally curved or even hooked. Perithecial venter regularly ovoid, abruptly distinguished by well marked hunches from the strongly tapering tip and unequal lips, the inner of which is distinctly larger, taller, and subtended by a well defined blackish area. Length from foot to the perithecial apex 165–255 μm. Perithecium 23–40 × 63–75 μm. Longest appendage 180 μm. Ascospores about 40 μm.
FIGURE 1.
A.
Laboulbenia elephantina
(from the type slide). B.
Laboulbenia dichroma
(from the type slide). C.
Laboulbenia microcarpa
(from the type slide). D.
Laboulbenia inopinata
from
Macrocopturus
sp.
(from the paratype FI3864). Bars = 50 μm.
Type:
—
ECUADOR
.
Orellana
: P. N. Yasuní, Estación de Biodiversidad Tiputini,
220–250 m
, by fogging in tropical rain forest,
01 February 2001
,
Terry Erwin & al.
, all over the body of a male specimen of
Udeus
sp.
(
Curculioninae
,
Eugnomini
), (
holotype
FI3875!
isotypes
QCNE3875b! & FI3875c!). A total of 78 mature and
32 immature
thalli were examined.
Comments:
—Although the species of
Laboulbenia
with a simple outer appendage and a bifurcate inner appendage are quite a few, none of the described species can be confused with
L. elephantina
, mostly because of the shape and arrangement of these appendages. As to the species parasitic on weevils bearing appendages with a similar structure,
L. elephantina
differs from all of them for the perithecium pear-shaped and free for less than half of its length (in
L. curculionidicola
and
L. dichroma
the perithecium is entirely free from the receptacle, while in
L. inconspicua
the perithecium is oblong and joined to the perithecium for less than half of its length).