Five new species of entomopathogenic fungi from the Amazon and evolution of neotropical Ophiocordyceps

• Molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted for 33 specimens from the neotropics.
• Five new species were described and four nomenclatural novelties reported from the Amazon.
• New molecular data were archived for 15 previously described species from the Amazon subregion.
• A high diversity of Ophiocordyceps species was found, displaying a broad range of host affiliations.
• The phylogeny of Amazonian Ophiocordyceps reveals strong evidence for host jumping.

The neotropical biogeographic zone is a ‘hot spot’ of global biodiversity, especially for insects. Fungal pathogens of insects appear to track this diversity. However, the integration of this unique component of fungal diversity into molecular phylogenetic analyses remains sparse. The entomopathogenic fungal genus Ophiocordyceps is species rich in this region with the first descriptions dating to the early nineteenth century. In this study, material from various ecosystems throughout Colombia and Ecuador was examined. Molecular phylogenetic analyses of five nuclear loci including SSU, LSU, TEF, RPB1, and RPB2 were conducted alongside a morphological evaluation. Thirty-five specimens were examined representing fifteen different species of Ophiocordyceps, and five new species, Ophiocordyceps blattarioides, Ophiocordyceps tiputini, Ophiocordyceps araracuarensis, Ophiocordyceps fulgoromorphila, and Ophiocordyceps evansii, were described. An accurate identification of the host allowed us to conclude that host identity and host habitat are positively correlated with phylogenetic species of Ophiocordyceps and are probably strong drivers for speciation of neotropical entomopathogenic fungi.