AUTHOR=Gao Siyu , Meng Wei , Zhang Lixiang , Yue Qun , Zheng Xu , Xu Lijian 

TITLE=Parametarhizium (Clavicipitaceae) gen. nov. With Two New Species as a Potential Biocontrol Agent Isolated From Forest Litters in Northeast China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2021.627744

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2021.627744

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p>A novel genus <italic>Parametarhizium</italic> with two new entomopathogenic species, <italic>Parametarhizium changbaiense</italic> and <italic>Parametarhizium hingganense</italic>, was introduced based on their morphological characteristics and a multigene phylogenetic analysis, which were isolated from the forest litters collected in Northeast China. To infer their phylogenetic relationships, a six-gene dataset consisting of DNA fragments of [nuclear small subunit rDNA (SSU) + LSU + TUB + TEF + RPB1 + RPB2] was used for phylogenetic analysis, including 105 related fungi. The new genus <italic>Parametarhizium</italic> formed a monophyletic clade basal to <italic>Metarhizium</italic> and its related genera (formerly <italic>Metarhizium sensu lato</italic>). <italic>Parametarhizium</italic> can be morphologically distinguished from related genera by the combination of the following characteristics: formation of white to yellow colonies on different media, candelabrum-like arrangement of cylindrical or obpyriform phialides, and small subglobose to ellipsoidal conidia. Both <italic>P. hingganense</italic> and <italic>P. changbaiense</italic> exhibited anti-insect activities against three farmland pests <italic>Monolepta hieroglyphica</italic>, <italic>Callosobruchus chinensis</italic>, and <italic>Rhopalosiphum maidis</italic>. This is the first report of entomopathogenic fungi exhibiting the anti-insect activity against <italic>Mo. hieroglyphica</italic>.</p>