Multi-gene phylogeny and morphology of Ophiocordyceps laotii sp. nov. and a new record of O. buquetii ( Ophiocordycipitaceae , Hypocreales ) on ants from Thailand

Fungal specimens parasitic on ants producing Stilbella -like anamorph were collected from Thailand. Based on morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses, a new record for Ophiocordyceps buquetii and a new species, Ophiocordyceps laotii , were identified. Ophiocordyceps laotii is a pathogen specific to the ant species Dolichoderus laotius , while O. buquetii is a species distributed globally with a broad range of ant host species, occurring on Camponotus sp., Crematogaster sp., Dilobocondyla sp . , Oecophylla smaragdina , Platythyrea sp., Polyrhachis illaudata , Polyrhachis sp. 1, and Polyrhachis sp. 2. Ophiocordyceps buquetii and O. laotii share the morphological character of producing multiple synnemata from ant hosts but differ in the shape of fertile head and conidia, as well as its phylogenetic placement, which clearly distinguishes these species .