RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Unravelling the diversity Behind the <em>Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis</em> Complex: Three new species of zombie-ant fungi from the Brazilian Amazon
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 003806
DO 10.1101/003806
A1 João P. M. Araújo
A1 Harry C. Evans
A1 David M. Geiser
A1 William P. Mackay
A1 David P. Hughes
YR 2014
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2014/09/29/003806.abstract
AB In tropical forests, one of the most common relationships between parasites and insects is that between the fungus Ophiocordyceps (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales, Ascomycota) and ants, especially within the tribe Camponotini. Here, we describe three new and host-specific species of the genus Ophiocordyceps on Camponotus ants from the central Amazonian region of Brazil, which can readily be separated using morphological traits, in particular, ascospore form and function. In addition, we use sequence data to infer phylogenetic relationships between these taxa and closely related species within the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis complex, as well as with other members of the family Ophiocordycipitaceae.