A taxonomic revision of the genus Conidiobolus (Ancylistaceae, Entomophthorales): four clades including three new genera

Abstract

The genus <i>Conidiobolus</i> is an important group in entomophthoroid fungi and is considered to be polyphyletic in recent molecular phylogenies. To re-evaluate and delimit this genus, multi-locus phylogenetic analyses were performed using the large and small subunits of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nucLSU and nucSSU), the small subunit of the mitochondrial ribosomal DNA (mtSSU) and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α). The results indicated that the <i>Conidiobolus</i> is not monophyletic, being grouped into a paraphyletic grade with four clades. Consequently, the well-known <i>Conidiobolus</i> is revised and three new genera <i>Capillidium</i>, <i>Microconidiobolus</i> and <i>Neoconidiobolus</i> are proposed along with one new record and 22 new combinations. In addition, the genus <i>Basidiobolus</i> is found to be basal to the other entomophthoroid taxa and the genus <i>Batkoa</i> locates in the <i>Entomophthoraceae</i> clade.