Two new entomogenous species of Moelleriella with perithecia in tubercles from Thailand

• Two new species Moelleriella isolated from the south of Thailand.
• The phylogenetic analyses revealed these fungi are new species.
• They are described as Moelleriella alba sp. nov. and M. chumphonensis sp. nov.

Two new species of Moelleriella were discovered during diversity surveys of entomopathogenic fungi in the south of Thailand and are described as M. alba and M. chumphonensis based on morphological characters and molecular study. They have effuse white to orange stromata. Their teleomorphs are unique in producing a single perithecium inside a tubercle resembling Moelleriella raciborskii, a common species in Thailand. A combined matrix of nuclear large subunit rRNA gene (LSU) and RNA polymerase II subunit one (RPB1) gene shows that both species cluster in a distinct lineage as sister to M. raciborskii/“Aschersonia” placenta.