Two new soil-inhabiting fungi, Malbranchea cavernicola (Onygenales, Malbrancheaceae) and Talaromyces pangmaphaensis (Eurotiales, Trichocomaceae), from a cave in northern Thailand

Abstract

Caves are globally recognised as reservoirs of high fungal diversity, with cave soils harbouring many previously underexplored taxa. Fungal research in Thailand has been conducted for more than two decades; however, studies focusing on fungal diversity in cave environments remain limited. In the present study, six fungal strains were isolated from soil samples collected from the prehistoric Phi Man Long Long Rak Cave located in Pang Mapha District, Mae Hong Son Province, northern Thailand.

These strains were identified, based on morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses using sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU), β-tubulin (BenA), calmodulin (CaM) and the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB 2). Four strains representing two new species, Malbranchea cavernicola and Talaromyces pangmaphaensis, are described herein.

In addition, two strains identified as Malbranchea gymnoascoides are reported for the first time from soil and represent a new geographical record in Thailand. Full descriptions, illustrations and a phylogenetic tree showing the phylogenetic positions of the cave fungi identified in this study are provided.