Molecular phylogeny and morphology reveal two new species of Pleurocordyceps luopingensis sp. nov. (Polycephalomycetaceae) and Pseudometarhizium cangyuanense sp. nov. (Clavicipitaceae) from Yunnan, southwestern China

Abstract

Entomopathogenic fungi are species-rich, highly diverse, and widely distributed worldwide. The majority of entomopathogenic fungi belong to the families Clavicipitaceae, Cordycipitaceae, Ophiocordycipitaceae, and Polycephalomycetaceae. However, species of Polycephalomycetaceae and Clavicipitaceae remain relatively underexplored in China.

This study describes the discovery of two novel fungal species, namely Pleurocordyceps luopingensis sp. nov. and Pseudometarhizium cangyuanense sp. nov., during field surveys conducted in Yunnan Province, China. The former belongs to the family Polycephalomycetaceae, and the latter to the family Clavicipitaceae. Both taxa are formally described herein.

Detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations are provided, and family-level phylogenies are inferred based on a combined six-locus gene sequence dataset (nr SSU, ITS, nr LSU, tef 1 - α, rpb 1, and rpb 2), thereby confirming the taxonomic placement of the new species. These findings not only enrich the known diversity of entomopathogenic fungi in China but also provide important new evidence for clarifying the phylogenetic relationships among genera and species within Polycephalomycetaceae and Clavicipitaceae, further revealing the unique fungal diversity associated with the special habitats of the Yunnan region.