Harpellales in the digestive tracts of Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera nymphs from Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

This is the first report of Harpellales (Zygomycota) from Mexico, including herein only the endosymbiotic species of gut fungi in the digestive tracts or shed exuviae of Plecopteran and Ephemer-opteran nymphs. Four new species are described: Allantomyces zopilotei, Bojamyces olmecensis, Gauthieromyces viviparus and Graminella ophiuroidea. Among previously known Harpellales, Lancisporomyces nemouridarum and Zygopolaris ephemeridarum are southern range extremes and new records for Mexico. All species are illustrated and discussed relating to biogeographic implications of the new reports from Mexico, as well as the particular environmental circumstances of the Harpellales in the tropics.

• biogeography
• endosymbionts
• neotropics
• taxonomy
• Zygomycota

We are grateful for the help of the National Science Foundation for supporting this research through a Biodiversity Surveys & Inventory (BS&I) Award DEB-0344722, MMW, PI and LGV and MJC, senior collaborators. We appreciate being granted scientific collecting permits to work in Mexico, specifically oficio Nos. SGPA/DGVS/06258 and 13864, from Secretaría de Gestión para la Protección al Ambiente, SEMARNAT and Pesca de Fomento No. G-DOPA/12030/260805/5953 issued by the Comisión Nacional de Acuacultura y Pesca a través de su Dirección General de Ordenamiento Pesquero y Acuícola. Special thanks to Dr Ricardo Ayala Barajas and Angélica Narvaez for help during the process of permit issuance and Dr Jorge Soberón Mainero during planning stages. Senior collaborators in Mexico who helped coordinate our surveys include Drs Joaquín Cifuentes Blanco (UNAM), who also assisted with logistics after our survey, and Drs Francisco Lorea Hernandez and Rosario Medel Ortiz, Instituto de Ecología AC (INECOL), Xalapa. The authors especially express their gratitude for the support of Dr Luis Cervantes Peredo (IEAC) who kindly received us, offered lab space, helped with logistics and also joined us in the field. Dr Jorge Valenzuela, Dr Bruce Campbell and Roberto Arce Pérez (IEAC) also assisted with selection of suitable sites. Dr Ricardo García Sandoval (then a graduate student at UNAM) helped collect and process some of the material, as a trainee, during the first trip and assisted with specimens after our departure. We thank the staff of the Biological Station “Los Tuxtlas” for the kind reception and logistic help, especially Biol. Rosamond Coates and her postsurvey support as well. Dr Boris Kondratieff, Colorado State University, kindly provided identifications of vouchered host specimens. Patricia Eckel, Missouri Botanical Garden, provided the Latin for the new taxa.