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Abstract
We report the inedited occurrence of zygospores in symbiotic Asellariales (Zygomycota) from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. Two new species of Asellaria are described, Asellaria dactylopus and A. jatibonicua, both found in the hindgut of terrestrial isopods. The presence of spherical zygospores in the latter species represents a novelty for the order. The related gut-fungi Harpellales were known to produce sexual spores, characteristically conical or biconical. Order Asellariales is emended to include the description of zygospores. An undetermined species of Orchesellaria also is reported from the Caribbean. Comments are provided for each of the species as well as drawings and photographs to illustrate each taxon.
The authors are grateful for the assistance of NSF DEB-0615510 project, which financed the investigations; Generalitat de Catalunya-Fulbright Comission for supporting LGV; also the University of Puerto Rico, Department of Biology, and the staff of Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) for their kind and helpful reception; also Duane Kolterman for the Latin translations and JA Barrientos for host identification; Kennida Polanco and Maria Quirico, who kindly accompanied and helped us in some of the collections in DR; finally S. Santamaria (UAB) who helped us with some photographs. Collecting permits for Puerto Rico DRNA 06-IC-043 and Subsecretaria de Estado de Areas Protegidas y Biodiversidad, Autorización 01849 are acknowledged.
