There is gold in the graveyard: a new lineage of zombie-ant fungi in the genus <i>Ophiocordyceps</i> (<i>Ophiocordycipitaceae</i>: <i>Hypocreales</i>) from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

ABSTRACT: Ophiocordyceps serves as a key model for studying cryptic fungal diversity and behavioural manipulation of hymenopterous insects. Here, we describe Ophiocordyceps acanthoponerae, a newly discovered species infecting Acanthoponera mucronata (Heteroponerini: Formicidae) in a Brazilian Atlantic rainforest-Cerrado ecotone. Morphological analyses revealed mixed traits characteristic of Ophiocordyceps lineages associated with ants and wasps, including leaf biting behaviour manipulation, dark brown ascostromata covering 360º of the stalk, ascospores producing capilliconidia and hirsutelloid asexual morphs. Phylogenetic analyses based on four genomic regions (SSU, LSU, TEF and RPB1) placed this species outside the traditional myrmecophilous h

SUBMITTER: Lima-Santos SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12480677 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature