Three new species of Neohelicomyces (Tubeufiales, Tubeufiaceae) from freshwater and terrestrial habitats in China Author Ma, Jian https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1291-640X School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, China & Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Author Gomdola, Deecksha 0000-0002-0817-1555 Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Author Boonmee, Saranyaphat 0000-0001-5202-2955 Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Author Shen, Hong-Wei 0000-0003-2508-1970 Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand & School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand Author Tang, Xia 0000-0003-2705-604X Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand & College of Agriculture and Biological Science, Dali University, Dali, China Author Zhang, Li-Juan 0000-0002-3234-6757 School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, China & Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand Author Lu, Yong-Zhong 0000-0002-1033-5782 School of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guizhou Institute of Technology, Guiyang 550003, China Author Hyde, Kevin D. 0000-0002-2191-0762 Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand & Engineering and Research Center for Southwest Bio-Pharmaceutical Resources of National Education Ministry of China, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China & Innovative Institute for Plant Health / Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control on Fruits and Vegetables in South China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Guangzhou 510225, Guangdong, China & Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia text MycoKeys 2024 2024-06-03 105 317 336 journal article 298068 10.3897/mycokeys.105.124129 edc0c518-b02b-4848-88d3-deee54448cb7 Neohelicomyces guizhouensis J. Ma, Y. Z. Lu & K. D. Hyde sp. nov. Fig. 2 Etymology. The epithet “ guizhouensis ” refers to Guizhou Province , from where the specimen was collected. Holotype . HKAS 134924 . Description. Saprobic on decaying wood in a freshwater habitat. Sexual morph Unknown from natural habitat. Asexual morph Hyphomycetous, helicosporous. Colonies on natural substrate superficial, effuse, gregarious, white to light pink. Mycelium semi-immersed, hyaline to pale brown, septate, branched hyphae, smooth, comprising glistening conidial mass. Conidiophores 78–288 μm long, 4–6 μm wide (x ¯ = 179.5 × 5 μm, n = 20), macronematous, mononematous, erect, flexuous, cylindrical, sometimes branched, septate, hyaline to pale brown, smooth, thick-walled. Conidiogenous cells 9–18 μm long, 2.5–4.5 μm wide (x ¯ = 14 × 3.5 μm, n = 25), holoblastic, mono- to poly-blastic, integrated, sympodial, intercalary or terminal, cylindrical, with a denticulate protrusion, truncate at apex after conidial secession, hyaline to pale brown, smooth-walled. Conidia solitary, acropleurogenous, helicoid, rounded at the tips, 18–21.5 μm in diameter and conidial filament 2–2.7 μm wide (x ¯ = 20 × 2.3 μm, n = 20), 94.5–148.5 μm long (x ¯ = 126.5 μm, n = 30), multi-septate, coiled 2 ¾ – 3 ½ times, becoming loosely coiled in water, guttulate, hyaline, smooth-walled. Culture characteristics. Conidia producing germ tubes on PDA within 9 hours of incubation at 25 ° C. Colonies on PDA are circular with flat surface and undulate edge, reaching 40 mm diameter after 45 days of incubation at 25 ° C, top view of colony pale pink to brown, reverse brown to dark brown. Neohelicomyces guizhouensis ( HKAS 134924 , holotype) a, b colonies on the host surface c, d conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidia e – g conidiogenous cells h – l conidia m germinated conidium n, o surface and reverse colonies on PDA after 45 days of incubation at 25 ° C. Scale bars: 50 μm ( c ); 30 μm ( d ); 10 μm ( e, g, m ); 5 μm ( f, h – l ). Material examined. China , Guizhou Province , Zunyi City, Renhuai City, Daba Town, on decaying wood in a freshwater habitat, 17 August 2021 , Jian Ma, RH 4 ( HKAS 134924 , holotype ; GZAAS 23–0619 , isotype ), ex-type living cultures GZCC 23–0725 ; Ibid ., RH 4.1 ( GZAAS 23–0620 , paratype ), living culture GZCC 23–0726 . Notes. The newly-identified strains ( GZCC 23–0725 and GZCC 23–0726 ) are phylogenetically grouped with N. denticulatus , N. deschampsiae , N. pallidus and N. pandanicola (Fig. 1 ). However, it is most closely related to N. deschampsiae ( CPC 33686) phylogenetically and a comparison of polymorphic nucleotides across ITS and LSU sequences between GZCC 23–0725 and N. deschampsiae ( CPC 33686) revealed nucleotide base disparities of 34 / 546 bp (6.3 %, including fourteen gaps) and 4 / 860 bp (0.5 %, including 0 gap), respectively. Morphologically, N. guizhouensis is most similar to N. dehongensis in having macronematous, mononematous, erect, flexuous branched conidiophores and solitary, helicoid, hyaline conidia ( Dong et al. 2020 ). However, N. dehongensis can be delineated from N. guizhouensis by its longer conidia (145–210 μm vs. 94.5–148.5 μm) and wider conidial filaments (20–25 μm vs. 18–21.5 μm) ( Dong et al. 2020 ). Therefore, based on the findings from both molecular and morphological evidence, we propose N. guizhouensis as a new species.