Pleurocordyceps nutansis Y.P. Xiao, T.C. Wen & K.D. Hyde, sp. nov. Fig. 25.

MycoBank number: MB 559475; Index Fungorum number: IF 559475; Facesoffungi number: FoF 10741;

Etymology: The species name refers to the host species.

Holotype: MFLU 21-0275

Hyperparasitic on Ophiocordyceps nutans (Ophiocordycipitaceae) (Fig. 28), on insect buried in the soil, the stromata erect in the air. Sexual morph: Undetermined. Asexual morph: Hyphomycetous. Synnemata 2–5 mm long, 0.1–0.4 mm wide, cylindrical, clavate, capitate, stipitate, crowded, simple, white to yellowish, with or without fertile head. Stipe 2–5 mm long, 0.1–0.2 mm wide, cylindrical, white to yellowish, with or without fertile head.  Fertile head 0.2–0.4 mm wide, globose to subglobose, yellowish, with conidia masses. Phialides of two types, both of the types observed on the same synnema. α-phialides 10–24 × 1–1.2 μm ( = 18 × 1.1 µm, n = 90), gathered on the top of synnema, arranged in a parallel palisade-like layer around the top of fertile head, hyaline, usually branched into 2–6 phialides, narrowly slender lanceolate; β-phialides 10–14 × 1.1–1.8 μm ( = 12 × 1.5 µm, n = 90), solitary, scattered along the stipe, lanceolate, ovate at the base, 5–12 μm long, tapering into a long neck, 2–4 μm long. Conidia one-celled, hyaline, smooth, of two types. α-conidia 1.6–2.3 μm ( = 1.9 µm, n = 90), spherical, forming slimy conidial masses on the fertile head; β-conidia 3.5–5 × 1.3–2 μm ( = 4.2 × 1.7 µm, n = 90), fusiform, produced along stipe of the synnema.

Material examined: China, Yunnan Province, Kunming City, Yeya Lake, parasitic on larvae of Lepidoptera, on the leaf litter, 30 September 2018, Juan Meng (Holotype: MFLU 21-0275) (Paratype: GZU 21-YYH18093019a).

Notes: Pleurocordyceps nutansis is sister to the clade formed by Pleurocordyceps sinensis, Polycephalomyces ramosus and Polycephalomyces tomentosus (Fig. 16: 98% ML / 0.99 PP). More data is needed for Polycephalomyces ramosus and Polycephalomyces tomentosus. Pleurocordyceps lanceolatus is distinct from Pleurocordyceps sinensis in producing smaller α-phialides and larger β-conidia (Table 11). The new species has the same host with Pleurocordyceps yunnanensis, which is Ophiocordyceps nutans, but can be distinguished to Pleurocordyceps yunnanensis in the phylogenetic tree (Fig. 3, Fig. 16). The host clade sister to Ophiocordyceps nutans (NBRC 101749) in the phylogenetic tree and share the same morphological characters with Ophiocordyceps nutans. Thus, we introduce Polycephalomyces nutans is as a new species under Polycephalomyces and identify the host as Ophiocordyceps nutans.

Fig. 25. Pleurocordyceps nutansis (Holotype YYH18093019) a Habitat of Pleurocordyceps sinensis. b Overview of Pleurocordyceps sinensis. c Host of Ophiocordyceps nutans. d-f Synnemata.  g, l Conidiophores. h, i α-phialides. j, k α-conidia. m β-phialides. np β-conidia. Scale Bars: b = 1 cm, c = 1 cm, d = 5000 µm, e = 2000 µm, f = 500 µm, g = 50 µm, h, i = 20 µm, l, m = 10 µm, n–p = 5 µm, j, k = 2 µm.