First report of zygospores in Asellariales and new species from the Caribbean.
We report the inedited occurrence of zygospores in symbiotic Asellariales (Zygomycota) from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Two new species of Asellaria are described, Asellaria dactylopus and A. jatibonicua, both found in the hindgut of terrestrial isopods. The presence of spherical zygospores in the latter species represents a novelty for the order. The related gut-fungi Harpellales were known to produce sexual spores, characteristically conical or biconical. Order Asellariales is emended to include the description of zygospores. An undetermined species of Orchesellaria also is reported from the Caribbean. Comments are provided for each of the species as well as drawings and photographs to illustrate each taxon.
Valle
Laia Guàrdia
LG
Unitat de Botanicà, Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia, Facultat de Ciencies, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra (Barcelona), España. laia.guardia@uab.cat
Cafaro
Matías J
MJ
D000818:Animals; D004293:Dominican Republic; D005658:Fungi / Q000166:cytology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D033321:Isopoda / Q000382:microbiology; D011647:Puerto Rico; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000166:cytology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*