Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal two new species of Coniochaeta (Coniochaetaceae, Coniochaetales) from northern Thailand

Coniochaeta is a cosmopolitan fungal genus found in diverse habitats worldwide. During an investigation of microfungi from rock and soil samples collected in northern Thailand between 2024 and 2025, six strains of Coniochaeta were isolated. These strains were identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses using sequences of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU), internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and translation elongation factor 1 - alpha (tef 1 - α) regions.

These six strains, representing two new species, Coniochaeta saxicola and C. terricola, are described herein. Full descriptions, illustrations, and a phylogenetic tree showing their phylogenetic positions are provided. In addition, the new taxa are compared with closely related taxa.