Papiliomyces Luangsa-ard, Samson & Thanakitpipattana, gen. nov.
Index Fungorum number: MB 834902; Facesoffungi number: FoF14491
Etymology: From the Latin “papilio”, meaning butterfly or moth.
Description: Lepidoptera larva buried in the ground. Stromata solitary to multiple (branched), robust to wiry. Perithecia super- ficial to completely immersed in the stroma, ampulliform, ellipsoid to ovoid. Asci cylindrical, ascospores whole with septation or breaking into cylindrical part-spores. There are no similarities between the two species in this genus except for the lepidop- teran host buried in the ground.
Type species: Papiliomyces liangshanensis (M. Zang et al.) Luangsa-ard, Samson & Thanakitpipattana.
Notes: – This genus is phylogenetically distinct from Metarhizium. It can morphologically be differentiated from Metarhizium in the production of superficial perithecia and wiry, branched stromata in Papiliomyces liangshanensis and the white to faint yellow robust stroma in P. shibinensis. Sexual morphs of Metarhizium produce semi-immersed to completely immersed perithecia on robust, almost fleshy dark green or purplish stromata. Phylo- genetically, it is closely related to Purpureomyces. However, in Purpureomyces, the stromata are fleshy, purple and the peri-thecia are obliquely immersed in the stroma while perithecia in P. shibinensis are ordinal in arrangement.