Rhachomyces Thaxt., Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts & Sci. 30: 468 (1895) [1894]
Notes – Rhachomyces is quite numerous: with six species described very recently, the number of accepted species in the genus is now 91 (Rossi and Christian 2020; Rossi and Leonardi 2020; Santamaria et al. 2020; Buyck et al. 2021). This genus is characterized by a series of superposed, usually short cells forming an axis that remembers a spinal column (hence the name, from Greek rachis=spine); these cells produce laterally both sterile appendages of various lengths and antheridial appendages, the latter ending with a single antheridium consisting of a simple phialide. In mature thalli the perithecia are usually found in an apical position and more frequently are single, but can be two or even more in a few species. The cells forming the outer wall of perithecia are arranged in four rows, each consisting of four unequal cells. Most of the species of Rhachomyces occur on ground beetles (Carabidae), but a few are associated with rove beetles (Staphylinidae) and two were found on small carrion beetles (Leiodidae Cholevinae). A single sequence is available for species in this genus (Goldmann and Weir 2018).
Species