Citation:
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Abstract:
Little is known about the diversity of Orbiliomycetes from Puerto Rico. Cantrell & Lodge (2008) compiled a list of the fungi from Puerto Rico, and only mentioned four species of Orbilia: O. andina, O. chysocoma, O. delicata and O. cf. gaillardii. During IMC11 in Puerto Rico, 2018, several collections of Orbiliomycetes were found in Juan Enrique Monagas Park during the Ascomycete workshop field trip. Some of these were sent to the Cornell and Farlow Herbaria. One collection caught the attention of Luis Quijada due to its interesting morphological features. This species is not related to any of the species reported by Cantrell & Lodge (2008). The morphology of the asci and ascospores of the sexual morph clearly indicates a relationship with Orbilia auricolor and related species (section Arthrobotrys). The morphology of the strongly mammiform paraphyses and the excipulum with large cortical cells with knob-like glassy caps had never before seen in this section. Our cultures produced an Arthrobotrys-like anamorph most similar to the anamorph of O. blumenaviensis (= A. vermicola), but the conidia are distinctly smaller and never more than 1-septate. Molecular data supports the placement of this Orbilia in series Arthrobotrys. Species in this series produce adhesive networks as trapping organs in the presence of nematodes, and this behavior was confirmed in cultures of this Orbilia. Our phylogenetic analysis shows this species as very distinct from O. blumenaviensis and supports it being new to science.