ABSTRACT
This paper describes and illustrates a new species of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota, Laboulbeniomycetes) recovered from Mastoptera guimaraesi bat flies (Diptera, Streblidae) in Ecuador and Panama. Bat fly–associated Laboulbeniales are still unexplored in the Neotropics, with only four described species of Gloeandromyces and one species of Nycteromyces known. Morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses support placement of the new taxon in Gloeandromyces and its recognition as an undescribed species. Gloeandromyces hilleri sp. nov. is easily recognized by 2–3 longitudinal rows of undulations at its perithecial venter. Phylogenetic reconstructions of the large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA and the translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1) both resolve G. hilleri and G. nycteribiidarum as sister species. We discuss the utility of LSU and TEF1 as secondary barcodes in Laboulbeniomycetes taxonomy.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and especially Oris Acevedo and Belkys Jimenez for the use of facilities and for logistical support. We also thank Michał Gorczak (University of Warsaw, Poland) for sharing some of his baseline work regarding the amplification of TEF1 in Laboulbeniomycetes. Finally, a word of appreciation is due to Priscila Chaverri, André De Kesel, and an anonymous reviewer for improvements to a previous manuscript draft.