The genus Preussia (Sporormiaceae, Pleosporales) represents one of the most diverse and metabolically active groups of ascomycetes. The genus is characterized by a complex taxonomic history involving the genera Sporormiella and Spororminula, which some authors consider synonyms of Preussia. However, the circumscription of these genera remains controversial, and the status of numerous species is unresolved. The present study aims to characterize strains of Preussia s.l. recovered during diversity surveys on marine and xerophytic substrates, explore their secondary metabolite profiles, and improve our understanding of the diversity within this group. The obtained strains, as well as strains from the CBS culture collection and exsiccata from different fungaria, were characterized morphologically, and molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted on strains available in culture. Metabolite profiles were developed for representative strains using mass spectrometry data (MS/MS). Molecular alignments comprised the nuclear ribosomal subunits, consisting of partial sequences for the 18S small subunit (SSU) nrDNA, the internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrDNA (ITS), as well as partial sequences for the 28S large subunit (LSU) nrDNA. Additional regions within protein-encoding genes were used, including the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second-largest subunit (rpb2) and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α) regions. These data were used to reconstruct a robust phylogenetic framework for Preussia s.l. and to delineate lineage structure and generic boundaries. Ten well-supported lineages were resolved and integrated with metabolite profiles to inform taxonomic decisions. Our results support the recognition of Preussia and Sporormiella as distinct genera, the re-establishment of Spororminula, and the introduction of four new genera, 11 new species, 18 new combinations, and one new name. Moreover, epi- and lectotypes have been designated to stabilize the taxonomy of some recognized species. This study provides a comprehensive framework for future taxonomic, phylogenetic, and chemical investigations within Sporormiaceae. Taxonomic novelties: New genera: Chaetosporormiella Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormyces Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Spororvela Guerra-Mateo, Cano & Gené. New species: Chaetosporormiella monodictyoides Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella aculeata Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella compacta Guerra-Mateo, González-Menéndez, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella polyspora Guerra-Mateo, González-Menéndez, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella suttonii Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Preussia gypsicola Guerra-Mateo, González-Menéndez, Cano & Gené, Sporormiella jejuensis H. Noh, H.U. Cho & S.H. Kim ex Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella koreensis H. Noh, H.U. Cho & S.H. Kim ex Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella solicola Guerra-Mateo, Cano & Gené, Spororminula irregularis Guerra-Mateo, Cano & Gené, Sporormyces anthraquinoniformans Guerra-Mateo, González-Menéndez & Cano. New combinations: Chaetosporormiella pilosella (Cain) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella citrullina (R.M.F. Silva et al.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella polymorpha (Asgari & Zare) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Pleosporormiella terricola (Cain) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella aegilopis (M. Mehrabi et al.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella africana (Arenal et al.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella bezerrensis (Ferreira-Sá et al.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella elegans (D.C. Sandberg & A.E. Arnold) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella isabellae (Arenal et al.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella japonica (Udagawa, K. Tominaga & Hamaoka) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella lignicola (W. Phillips & Plowr.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella mediterranea (Arenal et al.) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella persica (Asgari & Zare) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella procaviae (Crous) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Sporormiella procaviicola (Crous) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Spororminula subticinensis (Mouton) Guerra-Mateo, Cano & Gené, Sporormyces septenarius (S.I. Ahmed & Cain) Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano, Spororvela tela (S. Jakob & M.J. Richardson) Guerra-Mateo, Cano & Gené. New names: Sporormiella isopartis Guerra-Mateo, Gené & Cano. New synonyms: Preussia apgariae Y.P. Tan et al., Preussia arizonica D.C. Sandberg & A.E. Arnold, Preussia crataegi Eisvand & M. Mehrabi, Preussia cylindricalis F. Liu et al., Preussia flanaganii Boylan, Preussia isomera Cain, Preussia mariae D.C. Sandberg & A.E. Arnold, Preussia mayoae Y.P. Tan et al., Preussia pianica Eisvand & M. Mehrabi, Preussia pistaciae Eisvand & M. Mehrabi, Preussia tenerifae (Arx & Aa) Kruys. Typification (basionyms): Epitypification: Perisporium funiculatum Preuss; Lectotypification: Sporormia intermedia Auersw. Citation: Guerra-Mateo D, González-Menéndez V, Gené J, Crous PW, Bensch K, Genilloud O, Cano-Lira JF (2026). Novel insights into the phylogenetic and metabolic diversity of preussia-like fungi. Studies in Mycology 114: 437-486. doi: 10.3114/sim.2026.114.03.
Hyperparasitic fungi associated with hypocrealean entomopathogens play a pivotal yet underexplored role in regulating fungal-arthropod interaction networks. Despite their frequent occurrence in nature, the taxonomic diversity and evolutionary relationships of these hyperparasites remain poorly resolved. In this study, we conducted an integrative taxonomic investigation of hyperparasites associated with hypocrealean entomopathogenic fungi, together with their closely allied entomopathogenic taxa. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses based on LSU, ITS, SSU, tef-1α, rpb1, and rpb2 were employed to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships, and molecular clock analyses were conducted independently to infer evolutionary timescales of families within Hypocreales. Morphological examinations were used to corroborate species delimitation and generic circumscription. Our results substantially expand the known diversity of this group, revealing one novel family, Chlorocilliaceae fam. nov., two new genera (Paralecanicillium gen. nov. and Neodingleyomyces gen. nov.), and 18 new species. In addition, three new combinations, seven new host, geographic, or asexual morph records, and two previously described species are documented, comprising a total of 30 species distributed across 18 genera and six families. Chlorocilliaceae is proposed to accommodate Albacillium, Chlorocillium, Fiorinimazzantia, Husseyia, Neoaraneomyces, Paraneoaraneomyces, Rousseaua, Speluncomyces and Subuliphorum. Updated descriptions and emended generic concepts of Fiorinimazzantia and Husseyia are provided based on newly collected material. This study advances our understanding of the taxonomy, evolutionary history, and hidden diversity of hyperparasitic fungi allied to hypocrealean entomopathogens, and provides a robust framework for elucidating tripartite host-pathogen-hyperparasite interactions in fungal ecology. Taxonomic novelties: New family: Chlorocilliaceae D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen. New genera: Neodingleyomyces D.P. Wei, Z.L. Liu & T.C. Wen, Paralecanicillium D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen. New species: Ascopolyporus sanduensis D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Calcarisporium ophiocordycipiticola D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium aschersoniae D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium coccidiicola D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium cordycipiticola D.P. Wei, Z.L. Liu & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium gibellulae D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium globiceps D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium houqiaoense D.P. Wei, Q. F. Huang & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium menghaiense D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium puerense D.P. Wei, Z.L. Liu & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium sanduense D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium taiyangheense D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Chlorocillium tengchongense D.P. Wei, N.Y. Liu & T.C. Wen, Husseyia ramosissima D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Neodingleyomyces tengchongensis D.P. Wei, N.Y. Liu & T.C. Wen, Ophiocordyceps shimenxiaensis D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Paralecanicillium yunnanense D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Pleurocordyceps simaoensis D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen. New combinations: Calcarisporium andense (Flakus et al.) D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Calcarisporium agaricicola (Berk.) D.P. Wei & T.C. Wen, Torrubiellomyces sessilis (Kaitsu et al.) D.P. Wei, T.C. Wen. New records: Albacillium hingganense M.M. Ding & L.J. Xu, Chlorocillium neolepidopterorum (W.H. Chen et al.) W.H. Chen et al., Fiorinimazzantia elisabettae Y.P. Tan et al., Pleurocordyceps heilongtanensis Y.B. Wang et al., Pleurocordyceps parvicapitata Y.P. Xiao et al., Pleurocordyceps neoagarica Yu Yang & Yuan Pin Xiao, Paradingleyomyces lepidopterorum Y. Wang tris & T.C. Wen. Replacement names: Torrubiellomyces J.P.M. Araújo & de Bekker. Citation: Wei DP, Gentekaki E, Luangsa-ard JJ, Wijayawardene NN, Wanasinghe DN, Liu ZL, Huang QF, Liu NY, Xie SW, Kang JC, Wen TC (2026). Taxonomy, phylogeny and diversity of hyperparasites and their allied entomopathogens in Hypocreales. Studies in Mycology 114: 370-436. doi: 10.3114/sim.2026.114.02.
Hypocreales, a highly diverse fungal order, encompasses numerous families with genera exhibiting pathogenicity towards invertebrates. Our research compiles a comprehensive survey of invertebrate-pathogenic hypocrealean fungi collected in Thailand over the last two decades, representing over two hundred species. For each species, we provide detailed descriptions of macro-and microscopic morphological features, high-resolution photographic documentation, host and habitat information, and geographical distribution within Thailand. To gain a comprehensive understanding of their phylogenetic relationships, molecular phylogenetic data using combined SSU, LSU, rpb1, rpb2, and tef1 sequences were used to validate species identifications and establish phylogenetic context. Taxonomic novelties: New species: Ophiocordyceps camponoti-leonardi Kobmoo, Mongkols., Tasan., Thanakitp. & Luangsa-ard, Ophiocordyceps camponoti-saundersi Kobmoo, Mongkols., Tasan., Thanakitp. & Luangsa-ard, Ophiocordyceps polyrhachidis-furcatae Kobmoo, Mongkols., Tasan., Thanakitp. & Luangsa-ard, Petchiella hymenopterorum Mongkols., Noisrip., Jangs. & Luangsa-ard. New combinations: Hypocrella minutispora (Hywel-Jones & Mongkols.) Mongkols. & Luangsa-ard, Hypocrella narathiwatensis (Mongkols. et al.) Mongkols. & Luangsa-ard, Ophiocordyceps petchabunensis (Hywel-Jones et al.) Thanakitp., Mongkols. & Luangsa-ard, Petchiella siamensis (Thanakitp. et al.) Thanakitp., Mongkols. & Luangsa-ard, Petchiella mantidicola (Kobayasi & Shimizu) Thanakitp., Mongkols. & Luangsa-ard. Replacement name: Petchiella Thanakitp., Mongkols. & Luangsa-ard. Citation: Luangsa-ard JJ, Thanakitpipattana D, Mongkolsamrit S, Tasanathai K, Kobmoo N, Khonsanit A, Noisripoom W, Tanticharoen M (2026). Atlas of hypocrealean invertebrate-pathogenic fungi of Thailand. Studies in Mycology 114: 1-369. doi: 10.3114/sim.2026.114.01.
Genomic-level data have enabled us to infer better resolved phylogenetic estimates and revolutionised ourviews on fungal relationships. Agaricineae is the largest suborder of Agaricales and mainly comprises the brown-and dark-spored Agaricales with thick-walled and pigmented basidiospores. Our study is the most extensive phylogenomic study of the suborder Agaricineae to date including 54 genera and 86 species. For 25 of them, shallow whole genome sequence data were produced in this study from dried fungarium specimens collected between 1997 and 2016. A total of 24 families is recognised including five that are proposed as new: Agrocybaceae, Galerinaceae, Hemipholiotaceae, Kuehneromycetaceae and Phaeocollybiaceae. In addition, Battarreaceae and Chromocyphellaceae are accepted at family level based on previous phylogenetic studies, bringing the total number of accepted families in the suborder Agaricineae to 26. The families are further grouped into eight informal "superfamilies": Agaricacea, Bolbitiacea, Cortinariacea, Galeropsidacea, Inocybacea, Nidulariacea, Psathyrellacea, and Strophariacea. Several families have been emended based on the current study and recent phylogenetic studies and as a result, a total of 190 genera are listed as accepted in suborder Agaricineae.
Gran Canaria is the third island in surface area and altitude of the Canary Islands archipelago (Spain), located in the Atlantic Ocean. Its geomorphology provides a wide range of ecological niches that, together with its geographical isolation, have given rise to numerous endemic species of animals and plants. Despite extensive studies on their flora and fauna, research on microscopic fungi remains limited. Therefore, to assess the biodiversity of geophilic microscopic fungi of Gran Canaria, 12 samples were collected from the topsoil layer in different sites of Finca de Osorio, in Parque Rural de Doramas, at the North of the island. The samples were processed by direct sprinkling onto glycerol 18 % agar (G18) and ascospore agar (AA), by activation of dormant spores using 5 % acetic acid followed by plating onto potato-carrot extract agar (PCA), and by Toma-Karling-Vanbreuseghem (ToKaVa) hair baiting method. Incubation was carried out at 25 °C and 37 °C. The fungi were isolated in pure culture, and the strains were phenotypically characterized and preliminary identified using molecular data by comparing the nucleotide sequences of one or more phylogenetic informative markers using the BLAST search tool. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted when it was necessary. A total of 199 fungal strains were obtained, being assigned to 37 genera and 76 species, including four new genera, 17 new species and three new combinations distributed across the family Chaetomiaceae (12), and the genera Penicillium (2), Spiromastigoides (1), Thermoascus (1) and Westerdykella (1). In conclusion, the volcanic soils of Gran Canaria Island show a high fungal diversity, particularly within the family Chaetomiaceae, highlighting that the Macaronesia is an underexplored geographic region reservoir of micromycetes. Taxonomic novelties: New genera: Catenatispora Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Novoallocanariomyces Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Novochaetomium Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Paraarxotrichum Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel. New species: Allocanariomyces diversisporus Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Botryotrichum solisexuale Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Canariomyces similis Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Catenatispora terrestris Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Chaetomium annellidicum Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Humicola simplicissima Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Novoallocanariomyces verrucisporus Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Novochaetomium canariense Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Ovatospora phialospora Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Paraarxotrichum sterile Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Penicillium abortivum Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Penicillium doramasicum Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Pseudohumicola duospora Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Pseudohumicola fragilis Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Spiromastigoides globispora Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Thermoascus simplicissimus Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Westerdykella canariensis Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel. New combinations: Pseudohumicola nivea (De Bert.) Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano, Pseudohumicola repens (De Bert.) Sastoque, Cano & Stchigel, Pseudohumicola sardiniae (De Bert.) Sastoque, Stchigel & Cano. Citation: Sastoque AP, Stchigel AM, Cano-Lira JF (2025). Soil ascomycetes from Spain. XV. New and noteworthy fungi from Gran Canaria Island (Canary Islands archipelago). Studies in Mycology 113: 72-114. doi: 10.3114/sim.2026.113.02.
Acremonium-like fungi represent a morphologically reduced and polyphyletic group with ecological roles ranging from saprophytes and endophytes to opportunistic pathogens, and with demonstrated potential for producing bioactive secondary metabolites. Convergent morphologies and incomplete molecular data have long hampered their taxonomic resolution. Recent studies, combining morphological features, phylogenetic analyses, and ecological and host associations have classified acremonium-like species within the orders Cephalothecales, Coniochaetales, Glomerellales, and Hypocreales. Furthermore, Acremonium s. str. is restricted to the family Bionectriaceae. However, many acremonium-like species remain to be discovered, and there are still gaps in our understanding of their ecological functions and potential applications in biotechnology. In this study, we evaluated 402 isolates of acremonium-like fungi from the CBS culture collection, including isolates that had not yet undergone molecular analysis. Isolates were analysed based on morphological characters and molecular phylogeny, for which DNA sequence data were obtained from the internal transcribed spacer regions 1 and 2 and 5.8S nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (ITS), partial 28S large subunit (LSU) nrDNA, and the protein-coding genes RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1). Our results place those isolates into the orders Hypocreales and Trichosphaeriales, distributed in 18 families and 149 species. The most represented family is Bionectriaceae, followed by Sarocladiaceae and Trichosphaeriaceae. We introduce two new families, seven new genera, and 33 novel species, along with four new combinations. This study provides a robust phylogenetic framework for the order Hypocreales, resolving 29 families, thereby stablishing a strong foundation for future ecological, medical, and biotechnological studies on this taxonomically complex group.
Approximately 200000 species of fungi have been described to date, representing nearly 8000 currently recognised genera. Many of these genera are regarded as plant pathogenic, as they include at least one species proven to cause pre- or postharvest plant disease. Following the abandonment of dual nomenclature and the advent of DNA sequencing and phylogenetic approaches, numerous para- and polyphyletic clades were resolved into distinct genera. These genera are now defined based on morphology, ecology, and DNA phylogeny. The present paper represents the first in a series that aims to provide descriptions, classification, illustrations, significant species, disease symptoms, and DNA data for the common genera of phytopathogenic fungi known from culture, including the first treatment of 379 genera. In addition, several new combinations, lecto-, epi-, or neotypes are also proposed. Taxonomic novelties: New combinations: Anisogramma coryli (Batsch) Crous, Helostroma bacarum (Buhagiar) Aime & Bensch, Hymenella cerealis (Ellis & Everh.) Crous & J.Z. Groenew., Hypomyces multiseptatus (de Hoog) Crous & Bensch, Hypomyces verticillatus (Link) Crous & Bensch, Mastigocladium capsici (S.Q. Tong & Y.J. Wu) Lin Zhao & Crous, Mastigocladium lepidopterorum (L.W. Hou et al.) Lin Zhao & Crous, Microstroma glucosiphilum (T. Kij. & Aime) Aime & Bensch, Paraconiothyrium coniothyrium (Fuckel) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella aquilegiicola (M. Petrov) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella clematidina (Thüm.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella clematidis-rectae (Petr.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella glaucii (Brunaud) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella humulicola (Chaiwan et al.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella hydei (Maharachch. et al.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella parvula (L.W. Hou et al.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella petasitis (Tibpromma et al.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella rosae (Qian Chen et al.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella sandfjordenica (Crous & Rämä) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella vincetoxici (De Not.) Crous & Bensch, Sclerophomella vodakii (E. Müll.) Crous & Bensch; New name: Sclerophomella humuligena Crous & Bensch for Calophoma humuli V. Thiyag. et al. New typifications (basionyms): Ascochyta pisi Lib., Cryptosphaeria glaucopunctata Grev., Diaporthe cubensis Bruner, Geotrichum candidum Link, Hymenula cerealis Ellis & Everh., Lanosa nivalis Fr., Mauginiella scaettae Cavara, Phaeophleospora eugeniae Rangel, Pilidium acerinum Kunze, Seiridium marginatum Nees, Sphaeria melanostyla DC., Sporendonema sebi Fr., Tubercularia chaetospora Pat., Wallemia ichthyophaga Johan-Olsen. Citation: Crous PW, Groenewald JZ, Bensch K, Gené J, Guarro J (2025). Genera of phytopathogenic fungi known from culture: 1-379. Studies in Mycology 112: 261-633. doi: 10.3114/sim.2025.112.05.
Eurotiales is a diverse and speciose order and includes economically important genera like Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces and Talaromyces. Historically, species identifications based on morphology are challenging. The publication of accepted species lists and the availability of representative DNA sequences for type strains have contributed greatly towards accurate species identification and facilitated the description of many new species. However, despite current advancements, a proportion of newly described species within these taxonomically challenging genera represent, in fact, existing species, which raises obvious concerns. This study thus aimed to further modernise the taxonomy of Eurotiales by addressing key challenges in species identification and classification. Our study objectives were threefold: 1) to review species described after 2023, 2) update the accepted species list, and 3) release a curated DNA sequence dataset to facilitate future species identifications. We conclude that a move to a phylogenetic species concept is necessary but continue to support the inclusion of morphological descriptions and, where possible, associated secondary metabolite, exoenzyme, physiology and ecological data when introducing new species. Based on our phylogenetic analyses, we accept 130 of 171 species described since 2023 but reduce 41 to synonyms. Furthermore, we also reduced 17 species described pre-2023 to synonyms. Our list now contains 1393 species classified into four families and 26 genera, with Aspergillus (n = 465), Penicillium (n = 598) and Talaromyces (n = 236) containing the most species. To aid sequence-based identifications and species descriptions under a phylogenetic species concept, we release a curated DNA reference sequence database containing 18837 DNA sequences (3867 ITS, 5277 BenA, 5110 CaM and 4583 RPB2) generated from 5325 strains. Sequences were selected to best cover the infraspecies variation under our current understanding of each species. The species list and sequence database will be kept up to date as new information becomes available and will remain available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16605949. This manuscript presents a major leap towards our goal to facilitate work with Eurotiales, while providing the taxonomic framework to support research excellence related to this important fungal group. Taxonomic novelties: New sections: Talaromyces section Brunneospori Visagie, Houbraken & Hubka. New series: Aspergillus series Cibarii Visagie, Houbraken & Hubka; Penicillium series Veneta Visagie, Houbraken & Hubka. New species: Penicillium linzhiense H-K. Wang & R. Jeewon; Penicillium simile Davolos, Pietr., Persiani & Maggi.; Penicillium ulleungdoense D.H. Choi & J.G. Kim Citation: Visagie CM, Houbraken J, Overy DP, Sklenář F, Bensch K, Frisvad JC, Mack J, Perrone G, Samson RA, van Vuuren NI, Yilmaz N, Hubka V (2025). From chaos to tranquillity: a modern approach to the identification, nomenclature and phylogeny of Aspergillus, Penicillium and other Eurotiales, including an updated accepted species list. Studies in Mycology 112: 117-260. doi: 10.3114/sim.2025.112.04.
Polar, high altitude montane and cold desert environments harbour only sparse plant life and often remain frozen for extended periods. Because of their remoteness, often combined with restricted access, such regions are rarely visited and the fungal biodiversity of the soils is scarcely studied. Despite this, when such studies are undertaken, psychrophilic Penicillium species are often reported and the isolates exhibit a high spectrum of biologically active compounds of biotechnological interest. Small molecule profiling by mass spectrometry (often called 'metabolomics') can supplement phylogenetic species concepts and provide information to characterize variation within species or populations. During large scale fungal isolation surveys exploring new psychrophilic fungi from high altitude alpine and arctic tundra soils, several undescribed Penicillium species were discovered. A polyphasic taxonomic approach was adopted to formally describe ten new species using multigene phylogenetic analyses and phenotypic characterizations including secondary metabolite production, colony characters, and microscopic analysis of morphological structures. Using untargeted metabolomics and molecular networking tools, an emphasis was made to characterize, compare and discuss in depth, the chemical diversity associated with these new Penicillium species. Taxonomic novelties: New species: Penicillium algidum Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium aquamarinum Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium discoense Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium hesseltinei Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium jugorum Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium marthae Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium oreophilum Visagie, Overy, Seifert, Christensen & Frisvad, Penicillium rivulorum Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium turcosum Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad, Penicillium wyomingense Visagie, Overy, Seifert & Frisvad. Citation: Overy DP, Frisvad JC, Witte TE, Hicks CL, Hermans A, Sproule A, Louis-Seize G, Seifert KA, Yilmaz N, Price J, van Vuuren NI, Visagie CM (2025). Chemodiversity of Penicillium isolated from alpine and arctic environments, including ten new species. Studies in Mycology 112: 75-116. doi: 10.3114/sim.2025.112.03.
Acer (Sapindaceae) is a major genus of broadleaf trees dominating deciduous forests in the Northern Hemisphere, with Asia exhibiting the highest species diversity. Many economically important Acer species are cultivated for ornamental or timber purposes. Acer powdery mildew, caused by fungi in the tribe Cystotheceae, poses significant global economic and ecological threats. The pathogenicity spectrum remains unclear due to taxonomic uncertainties in its primary causal genera, Sawadaea and Takamatsuella. This study presents a comprehensive phylogenetic-taxonomic analysis of the two genera across East Asia, Europe, and North America. Using 75 ITS and 58 28S rDNA newly obtained sequences, we resolved 12 Sawadaea species and one Takamatsuella species into nine monophyletic clades, revealing marked cryptic diversity (three new species: S. acerina, S. aceris-arguti, S. taii) and two paraphyletic groups (S. bifida/S. negundinis). Taxonomic revisions include: S. bicornis split into two formae (f. bicornis and f. polyphaga f. nov.) with distinct host preferences; S. tulasnei (sensu stricto) restricted to Europe/North America, invalidating previous Asian records; S. nankinensis and S. koelreuteriae form two basal lineages. Phylogenetic positioning confirmed Takamatsuella as a distinct genus sister to Sawadaea, supported by an ITS1 26 bp deletion. Host specificity analysis revealed narrow host ranges (primarily Acer) with two evolutionary host expansions to Koelreuteria, Aesculus, and Liquidambar. This study also newly describes the asexual morphs of four species (S. aesculi, S. bifida, S. bomiensis and S. kovaliana) and establishes a molecular framework for disease management through clarified phylogeny and taxonomy. Our findings provide critical insights into fungal evolution, host-pathogen interactions, and strategies for mitigating powdery mildew impacts in forest ecosystems. Taxonomic novelties: New forma: Sawadaea bicornis f. polyphaga M. Bradshaw & U. Braun. New species: Sawadaea acerina G.X. Guan & S.Y. Liu, Sawadaea aceris-arguti S. Takam. & U. Braun, Sawadaea taii G.X. Guan & S.Y. Liu. Citation: Feng J, Guan GX, Wu XL, Liu SY, Song JG, Bradshaw M, Götz M, Braun U, Takamatsu S, Heluta V, Jin DN, Wang SB, He YH, Zhang ZY, Liu L, Liu TZ, Ilyukhin EV, Lu XX, Li Y (2025). Phylogeny and taxonomy of Acer powdery mildews, including genera Sawadaea and Takamatsuella (Erysiphaceae, Ascomycota). Studies in Mycology 112: 1-38. doi: 10.3114/sim.2025.112.01.
Facial eczema (FE) in ruminants is associated with the fungal toxin sporidesmin that can cause significant mortality in grazing livestock. Incidences are particularly severe in New Zealand but are reported worldwide. The syndrome has historically been attributed to Pithomyces chartarum , a species transferred to Pseudopithomyces Pithomyces taxonomy of Pseudopithomyces concatenated protein coding genes distinguished 15 species in the genus. We describe Pseudopithomyces toxicarius sp. nov. as a novel sporidesmin Pse. chartarum , with 80 % of isolates in this study able to produce the toxin. Two Pithomyces species are combined into Pseudopithomyces as Pseudopithomyces cynodontis comb. nov . and Pseudopithomyces pavgii comb. nov . We also place Pseudopithomyces pandanicola in synonymy with Pseudopithomyces palmicola. Pithomyces terricola Longipedicellataceae as Pseudoxylomyces terricola comb. nov . Pseudopithomyces chartarum was the only other species where sporidesmin was detected, but this was found in only one of 14 isolates we tested. The extent of sporidesmin synthesis in this genus remains to be determined due to the limited availability of strains for testing in other species. Pse. toxicarius , Pse. chartarum and Pse. palmicola revealed distinct genetic subclades within each species. Four species were detected in New Zealand. Pseudopithomyces toxicarius and Pse. chartarum Pse. palmicola Pseudopithomyces suggesting widespread global distribution.
The ascomycete family Bionectriaceae (Hypocreales) contains cosmopolitan species distributed throughout a broad range of environments, mainly occurring in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, with a less frequent occurrence in marine habitats. Members of the family are commonly used in industrial, pharmaceutical, and commercial applications. Applications utilise biodegraders and biocontrol agents, while certain taxa serve as a rich source of bioactive secondary metabolites. In recent years, several studies have proposed new taxonomic concepts within Bionectriaceae based on multi-gene phylogenetic inference. However, the status of several genera remains controversial or unclear, and many need to be re-collected and subjected to molecular analysis. The present study aims to improve our understanding of Bionectriaceae by re-examining CBS culture collection strains preliminarily identified as taxa within this family. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses are based on alignments of the nuclear ribosomal subunits consisting of the internal transcribed spacer regions and intervening 5.8S nrDNA (ITS), as well as partial sequences for the 28S large subunit (LSU) nrDNA. Additional regions within protein-encoding genes were used, including the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) regions. The sequences generated were used to reconstruct a phylogenetic backbone of the family Bionectriaceae, and to delineate lineages and generic boundaries within it. Based on these results, seven new genera, 35 new species, and nine new combinations are proposed. A robustly supported phylogenetic framework is provided for Bionectriaceae, resolving 352 species and 50 well-supported genera. This study provides a solid foundation for more in-depth future studies on taxa in the family.
The winemaking industry faces unprecedented challenges due to climate change and market shifts, with profound commercial and socioeconomic repercussions. In response, non-Saccharomyces yeasts have gained attention for their potential to both mitigate these challenges and enhance the complexity of winemaking. This study builds upon our previous cataloguing of 293 non-Saccharomyces yeast species associated with winemaking environments by rigorously analysing 661 publicly available genomes. By employing a bioinformatics pipeline with stringent quality control checkpoints, we annotated and evaluated these genomes, culminating in a robust dataset of 530 non-Saccharomyces proteomes, belonging to 134 species, accessible to the research community. Employing this dataset, we conducted a comparative phylogenomic analysis to decipher metabolic networks related to fermentation capacity and flavor/aroma modulation. Our functional annotation has uncovered distinctive metabolic traits of non-Saccharomyces yeasts, elucidating their unique contributions to enology. Crucially, this work pioneers the identification of a non-Saccharomyces ‘fermentome’, a specific set of six genes uniquely present in fermentative species and absent in non-fermentative ones, and an expanded set of 35 genes constituting the complete fermentome. Moreover, we delineated a ‘flavorome’ by examining 96 genes across 19 metabolic categories implicated in wine aroma and flavour enhancement. These discoveries provide valuable genomic insights, offering new avenues for innovative winemaking practices and research.
The genus Aspergillus is diverse, including species of industrial importance, human pathogens, plant pests, and model organisms. Aspergillus includes species from sections Usti and Cavernicolus, which until recently were joined in section Usti, but have now been proposed to be non-monophyletic and were split by section Nidulantes, Aenei and Raperi. To learn more about these sections, we have sequenced the genomes of 13 Aspergillus species from section Cavernicolus (A. cavernicola, A. californicus, and A. egyptiacus), section Usti (A. carlsbadensis, A. germanicus, A. granulosus, A. heterothallicus, A. insuetus, A. keveii, A. lucknowensis, A. pseudodeflectus and A. pseudoustus), and section Nidulantes (A. quadrilineatus, previously A. tetrazonus). We compared these genomes with 16 additional species from Aspergillus to explore their genetic diversity, based on their genome content, repeat-induced point mutations (RIPs), transposable elements, carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) profile, growth on plant polysaccharides, and secondary metabolite gene clusters (SMGCs). All analyses support the split of section Usti and provide additional insights: Analyses of genes found only in single species show that these constitute genes which appear to be involved in adaptation to new carbon sources, regulation to fit new niches, and bioactive compounds for competitive advantages, suggesting that these support species differentiation in Aspergillus species. Sections Usti and Cavernicolus have mainly unique SMGCs. Section Usti contains very large and information-rich genomes, an expansion partially driven by CAZymes, as section Usti contains the most CAZyme-rich species seen in genus Aspergillus. Section Usti is clearly an underutilized source of plant biomass degraders and shows great potential as industrial enzyme producers.
The genus Camarosporidiella is here assessed with respect to its phylogenetic structure and species composition. More than 160 pure cultures from ascospores and conidia of more than 150 fresh collections, mostly from Fabaceae, were prepared as DNA sources. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of a multigene matrix of partial nuSSU-, complete ITS, partial LSU rDNA, and tef1 exon sequences of our isolates and those of previous workers revealed that these markers are insufficient to provide a complete species resolution. From this reduced data matrix, however, we propose synonyms and accept taxa for previously described species, which could not be included in the final phylogenetic tree due to lack of rpb2, tef1 intron and tub2 sequences. The final phylogenetic tree, which was inferred from a combined nuSSU-ITS-LSU-rpb2-tef1-tub2 sequence matrix resolved our isolates into 27 statistically supported phylogenetic species, of which 15 are new. Altogether 34 species are here accepted in Camarosporidiella. Using type studies we stabilise old names, lectotypify Cucurbitaria asparagi, Cucurbitaria caraganae, Cucurbitaria coluteae, Cucurbitaria euonymi, Dichomera elaeagni Hendersonia mori, Sphaeria elongata, Sphaeria laburni Sphaeria spartii and epitypify them as well as Cucurbitaria cytisi, Cucurbitaria retamae and Cucurbitaria steineri to place them in their correct phylogenetic positions and fix their taxonomic concepts. Morphology alone is not suitable to identify these species, and therefore no determinative key to species can be given. However, if hosts are reliably identified, many species can be determined without molecular data. Host images are included with the figures of each fungal species.
The order Chaetothyriales comprises the black yeasts and relatives, of which numerous species are prevalent as opportunists on human hosts. The present paper introduces a clade of species that live in ant nests inside hollow structures of tropical plants (so-called domatia) and their closest relatives. To clarify the evolutionary trajectory of the domatia-associated clade, molecular, morphological, and physiological data were analysed. The position of the domatia clade within the Chaetothyriales was assessed by phylogenetic analysis of ITS and LSU. Species delimitations were calculated and genealogical concordance performed with a dataset including the gene of the ribosomal operon, beta-tubulin (BT2) and RNA polymerase II largest subunit (RBP1). Genome sequencing allowed additional analysis of mating types, mitochondrial genomes, and estimation of a species tree based on the proteins of 770 single copy orthologous genes. A new family with two new genera in Chaetothyriales was introduced to accommodate the taxa from ant-inhabited domatia and a related clade of plant- and rock-colonizing species. The family is monophyletic and has strong statistical support. Although species delimitation criteria suggested the separation of more than 10 species in the domatia-clade, genealogical concordance of ribosomal and housekeeping gene markers indicated genetic exchange. Seven new species were delineated, with species also being characterized by phenotypic features of fungal colony morphology, micromorphology, physiology and ecology. However, intra-specific variability remained exceptionally large and did not always match with ecological and geographic data. It is hypothesized that the high degrees of intra- and interspecific variability of some of the clades acknowledged as separate species might be related to extended periods of molecular evolution. The newly described species seem to have their preferred habitat in tropical ant nests, and they have adapted to this specific environment. Ant-domatia provide a remarkable habitat rich in volatile chemicals, which could be tolerated by the fungi under study. The family is distantly related to the family Herpotrichiellaceae comprising numerous human-opportunistic species, where hydrocarbon tolerance has been hypothesized to play a role in black yeast evolution.
The species-rich Fusarium sambucinum species complex (FSAMSC; Fusarium, Nectriaceae, Hypocreales) is well-known for including devastating plant pathogens and toxigenic species. However, this group of grass-loving fungi also accommodates soil saprobes, endophytes, mycoparasites and rare opportunistic pathogens of humans and other animals. Recent publications have highlighted the vast phylogenetic and biochemical diversity of the FSAMSC, although a large number of taxa in FSAMSC have not been systematically described and still lack Latin binomials. In this study we established the phylogenetic breadth of the FSAMSC using an integrative approach including morphological, multilocus phylogenetic, and coalescence analyses based on five gene regions (calmodulin, RNA polymerase II largest and second largest subunits, translation elongation factor 1-alpha, and beta-tubulin). Results obtained support the recognition of 75 taxa in FSAMSC, including all the currently known species segregates of the Fusarium head-blight pathogen F. graminearum s. lat. Thirty novel species are formally described and illustrated, while four phylogenetic species remain undescribed. An epitype is proposed for the generic type of Fusarium, F. sambucinum, from recently collected material identified by means of morphology, phylogenetics and mating experiments, fixing the phylogenetic application of the name. Additional notes are included on the typification of Fusisporium cerealis (syn. Fusarium cerealis).
The Lichinomycetes is an independent lichenized lineage within the Ascomycota comprising ca. 390 species and 50 genera. Very few studies have dealt with family and genus classification using molecular data and many groups are in need of thorough revision. Thus, we constructed a multilocus phylogeny (mtSSU, RPB2 and mcm7 gene regions) including 190 specimens of Lichinomycetes belonging to 126 species. Ancestral state reconstruction analyses were carried out to trace the evolution of selected characters. The current classification scheme of the Lichinomycetes based on morphological and anatomical characters is in great conflict with the phylogenetic relationships resulting from the present study. The results suggest substantial non-monophyly at the family and genus levels. A revised classification is proposed here and an overview of genera accepted in the Lichinomycetes is given. Ancestral Lichinomycetes are reconstructed as crustose with pycnoascocarps and octosporous asci. We used a combination of characters to delineate groups including the ascoma development and the type of asci. The revised classification includes 11 new genera, five resurrected genera, and 54 new combinations distributed in four families (three emended and one new). Three new species are also described.
The application of traditional morphological and ecological species concepts to closely related, asexual fungal taxa is challenging due to the lack of distinctive morphological characters and frequent cosmopolitan and plurivorous behaviour. As a result, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) has become a powerful and widely used tool to recognise and delimit independent evolutionary lineages (IEL) in fungi. However, MLSA can mask discordances in individual gene trees and lead to misinterpretation of speciation events. This phenomenon has been extensively documented in Diaporthe, and species identifications in this genus remains an ongoing challenge. However, the accurate delimitation of Diaporthe species is critical as the genus encompasses several cosmopolitan pathogens that cause serious diseases on many economically important plant hosts. In this regard, following a survey of palm leaf spotting fungi in Lisbon, Portugal, Diaporthe species occurring on Arecaceae hosts were used as a case study to implement an integrative taxonomic approach for a reliable species identification in the genus. Molecular analyses based on the genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition (GCPSR) and DNA-based species delimitation methods revealed that speciation events in the genus have been highly overestimated. Most IEL identified by the GCPSR were also recognised by Poisson tree processes (PTP) coalescent-based methods, which indicated that phylogenetic lineages in Diaporthe are likely influenced by incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and reticulation events. Furthermore, the recognition of genetic recombination signals and the evaluation of genetic variability based on sequence polymorphisms reinforced these hypotheses. New clues towards the intraspecific variation in the common loci used for phylogenetic inference of Diaporthe species are discussed. These results demonstrate that intraspecific variability has often been used as an indicator to introduce new species in Diaporthe, which has led to a proliferation of species names in the genus. Based on these data, 53 species are reduced to synonymy with 18 existing Diaporthe species, and a new species, D. pygmaeae, is introduced. Thirteen new plant host-fungus associations are reported, all of which represent new host family records for Arecaceae. This study has recognised and resolved a total of 14 valid Diaporthe species associated with Arecaceae hosts worldwide, some of which are associated with disease symptoms. This illustrates the need for more systematic research to examine the complex of Diaporthe taxa associated with palms and determine their potential pathogenicity. By implementing a more rational framework for future studies on species delimitation in Diaporthe, this study provides a solid foundation to stabilise the taxonomy of species in the genus. Guidelines for species recognition, definition and identification in Diaporthe are included.
Sporocadaceae is a species-rich and cosmopolitan fungal family including species of plant pathogens, endophytes or saprobes, and parasites of humans and animals. The taxonomy of Sporocadaceae has recently been revised using a polyphasic approach. However, much remains unknown about the diversity of species and their host associations. A collection of 488 strains, mostly from China and associated with 129 host plant species, was studied based on morphological comparisons and multi-locus (LSU, ITS, tef-1α , tub2 , and rpb2 ) phylogenies. Our results revealed that they belonged to 86 species, one new genus ( Cavernicola gen. nov. ) and seven known genera, including Discosia , Monochaetia , Neopestalotiopsis , Pestalotiopsis , Seimatosporium , Seiridium and Sporocadus . Of these, 43 new species and three new combinations ( Dis. kaki , Mon. bulbophylli , and Neo. keteleeriae ) are proposed in this paper. In addition, Neo. vaccinii , Pes. kaki and Pes. nanjingensis are synonymised under Neo. hispanica , Pes. menhaiensis and Pes. sichuanensis , respectively. We also corrected seven problematic sequences of type materials of previously published species, namely Neo. iranensis ( tef-1α , ITS, tub2 ), Pes. jesteri ( tef-1α ), Pes. photinicola (ITS, tub2 ) and P es. yunnanensis (ITS). Based on this study, Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis are the most commonly detected genera within the Sporocadaceae family, associated with 84 and 70 plant species, respectively. Furthermore, considering the importance of Sporocadaceae and the fact that commonly used loci provide little valid information for species delimitation in this family, especially for Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis , we initiated a phylogenomic project in this study. It will not only contribute to the knowledge of species boundaries but will also provide an important basis for evolutionary studies and research on secondary metabolites in Sporocadaceae .
