Two New Ophiocordyceps Species (Hypocreales: Ophiocordycipitaceae) From the Southern Philippines: Ophiocordyceps rogongonensis Associated With Cicada Nymphs and Ophiocordyceps xylostellae Associated With the Diamondback Moth

Abstract

Recent mycological surveys in Northern Mindanao, Philippines, have uncovered two morphologically distinct, previously undescribed species of Ophiocordyceps ( Hypocreales : Ophiocordycipitaceae ). Using an integrative framework that combines morphological assessment with multilocus phylogenetics (nrSSU, nrLSU, tef1‐α , rpb1 , rpb2 ), we propose Ophiocordyceps rogongonensis sp. nov. and Ophiocordyceps xylostellae sp. nov. Phylogenetic analyses place O. rogongonensis within the core O. sobolifera clade as sister to O. hydrangea . It is distinguished by its deep reddish‐brown coloration at maturity, slender obclavate stroma resembling chili peppers, bacilliform perithecia, and ascospores breaking readily at their septa into pairs of shorter part‐spores. This is the first cicada‐infecting Ophiocordyceps reported in the Philippines. In contrast, O. xylostellae forms a distinct lineage in the O. elongata clade as sister to O. fenggangensis . It is distinguished by its type host, multiple short synnemata, long acicular‐tipped phialides, and fusiform, ellipsoidal, to subglobose, mucous‐sheathed conidia and represents the first Hirsutella ‐type entomopathogen described from Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth) to date. These discoveries emphasize the underexplored fungal diversity of tropical Philippine ecosystems, expanding the knowledge of Ophiocordycipitaceae in Southeast Asia and providing a foundation for future entomopathogenic fungi research in the Philippines.

Bibliographic Information