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Metarhiziopsis microspora gen. et sp. nov. associated with the elongate hemlock scale

     The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Valley Laboratory, 153 Cook Hill Road, Windsor, Connecticut 06095

Charles R. Vossbrinck

     The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123, Huntington Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06504

A sporodochial fungus collected from the elongate hemlock scale, Fiorinia externa (Ferris) in Coventry, Connecticut, is described. This fungus has characteristics of both Metarhizium and Myrothecium but develops setae surrounding white to buff sporodochia and dry conidia in chains, a combination of characters found in neither genus. Phylogenetic analyses of the complete small subunit ribosomal DNA (ssu), partial ef1- , and complete 5.8S ribosomal DNA and internal transcribed spacers (ITS) 1 and 2 shows that the fungus is allied with a subclade within Cordyceps including the species C. agriota, which places this fungus in the Hypocreales, Clavicipitaceae sensu lato or the newly erected Ophioclavicipitaceae. Morphological observation and molecular analysis indicate that this fungus is sufficiently different from Metarhizium and Myrothecium to warrant the erection of a new anamorphic genus. Therefore Metarhiziopsis microspora gen. et sp. nov. is proposed.

Key words: Clavicipitaceae, entomopathogen, hyphomycete, Hypocreales, Metarhizium, Myrothecium, Ophioclavicipitaceae