UNASSIGNED: Trichoderma species establish symbiotic relationships with plants through both parasitic and mutualistic mechanisms. While some Trichoderma species act as plant pathogenic fungi, others utilize various strategies to protect and enhance plant growth.
UNASSIGNED: Phylogenetic positions of new species of Trichoderma were determined through multi-gene analysis relying on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the ribosomal DNA, the translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1-α) gene, and the RNA polymerase II (rpb2) gene. Additionally, pathogenicity experiments were conducted, and the aggressiveness of each isolate was evaluated based on the area of the cross-section of the infected site.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, 13 Trichoderma species, including 9 known species and 4 new species, namely, T. delicatum, T. robustum, T. perfasciculatum, and T. subulatum were isolated from the diseased tubers of Gastrodia elata in Yunnan, China. Among the known species, T. hamatum had the highest frequency. T. delicatum belonged to the Koningii clade. T. robustum and T. perfasciculatum were assigned to the Virens clade. T. subulatum emerged as a new member of the Spirale clade. Pathogenicity experiments were conducted on the new species T. robustum, T. delicatum, and T. perfasciculatum, as well as the known species T. hamatum, T. atroviride, and T. harzianum. The infective abilities of different Trichoderma species on G. elata varied, indicating that Trichoderma was a pathogenic fungus causing black rot disease in G. elata.
UNASSIGNED: This study provided the morphological characteristics of new species and discussed the morphological differences with phylogenetically proximate species, laying the foundation for research aimed at preventing and managing diseases that affect G. elata.

UNASSIGNED: Next-generation sequencing technology can now be used to sequence historical specimens from natural history collections, an approach referred to as museomics. The museomics allows obtaining molecular data from old museum-preserved specimens, a resource of biomolecules largely underexploited despite the fact that these specimens are often unique samples of nomenclatural types that can be crucial for resolving scientific questions. Despite recent technical progress, cricket mitogenomes are still scarce in the databases, with only a handful of new ones generated each year from freshly collected material.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, we used the genome skimming method to sequence and assemble three new complete mitogenomes representing two tribes of the cricket subfamily Eneopterinae: two were obtained from old, historical type material of Xenogryllus lamottei (68 years old) and X. maniema (80 years old), the third one from a freshly collected specimen of Nisitrus vittatus. We compared their genome organization and base composition, and reconstructed the molecular phylogeny of the family Gryllidae.
UNASSIGNED: Our study not only confirmed that the genome skimming method used by next generation sequencing allows us to efficiently obtain the whole mitogenome from dry-pinned historical specimens, but we also confirmed how promising it is for large-scale comparative studies of mitogenomes using resources from natural history collections. Used in a phylogenetic context the new mitogenomes attest that the mitogenomic data contain valuable information and also strongly support phylogenetic relationships at multiple time scales.

UNASSIGNED: Pseudopoda Jäger, 2000 is currently the largest genus in the family Sparassidae Bertkau, 1872, comprising 255 species. Of these, 154 species have been recorded in China, representing 60.4% of the global species.In October 2023, a spider survey was conducted in Shennongjia National Nature Reserve, Hubei Province, China. After examination and morphological comparison, one new species of the genus Pseudopoda was identified and is described here.
UNASSIGNED: In this paper, a new species of Pseudopoda collected in Hubei Province, China, is proposed and named Pseudopodaguanmenshan sp. nov. A detailed description, diagnosis, photographs and distribution map of the new species are provided.

RNA viruses are characterized by a broad host range and high levels of genetic diversity. Despite a recent expansion in the known virosphere following metagenomic sequencing, our knowledge of the species rank genetic diversity of RNA viruses, and how often they are misassigned and misclassified, is limited. We performed a clustering analysis of 7801 RNA-directed RNA polymerase (RdRp) sequences representing 1897 established RNA virus species. From this, we identified substantial genetic divergence within some virus species and inconsistency in RNA virus assignment between the GenBank database and The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). In particular, 27.57% virus species comprised multiple virus operational taxonomic units (vOTUs), including Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae, Mammarenavirus lassaense, Apple stem pitting virus, and Rotavirus A, with each having over 100 vOTUs. In addition, the distribution of average amino acid identity between vOTUs within single assigned species showed a relatively low threshold: <90% and sometimes <50%. However, when only exemplar sequences from virus species were analyzed, 1889 of the ICTV-designated RNA virus species (99.58%) were clustered into a single vOTU. Clustering of the RdRp sequences from different virus species also revealed that 17 vOTUs contained two distinct virus species. These potential misassignments were confirmed by phylogenetic analysis. A further analysis of average nucleotide identity (ANI) values ranging from 70% to 97.5% revealed that at an ANI of 82.5%, 1559 (82.18%) of the 1897 virus species could be correctly clustered into one single vOTU. However, at ANI values >82.5%, an increasing number of species were clustered into two or more vOTUs. In sum, we have identified some inconsistency and misassignment of the RNA virus species based on the analysis of RdRp sequences alone, which has important implications for the development of an automated RNA virus classification system.

Two new marine nematode species belonging to the genus Halichoanolaimus from the intertidal zone of the Yellow Sea are described. Halichoanolaimussinensis sp. nov. is characterized by amphideal fovea with 2.5-3.0 turns, 20-27% of corresponding body diameters; spicules curved, middle portion broad, tapering distally, 1.4-1.5 cloacal body diameters long; gubernaculum slender consisting of two detached lateral pieces tapering distally; 10-13 papilliform precloacal supplements in two groups, the posterior three supplements smaller and closer to each other, the remaining supplements larger and widely spaced; tail conico-cylindrical with a half cylindrical portion. The second new species, Halichoanolaimuszhangi sp. nov. is distinct by having lateral differentiation present except in anterior half of pharynx which has even punctations, amphideal fovea with 3.0-3.3 turns, spicules curved, gradually narrowing from proximal to distal end with pointed tip, 7 papilliform precloacal supplements, gradually increasing the spacing distance forward, two rows of subventral conical setae situated at the precloacal region, tail elongated, filiform. An updated key to 30 valid species of Halichoanolaimus is provided.

Four new species of the genus Camptoscaphiella Caporiacco, 1934 are described from Xizang, China, i.e., C.metok Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂), C.shannan Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀), C.trifoliata Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀) and C.zayu Tong & Li, sp. nov. (♂♀). Morphological descriptions, photographic illustrations and a distribution map of the four new species are given.

Three newly discovered Melanogaster species, namely M.cyaneus, M.diqingensis, and M.truncatisporus, are introduced and illustrated based on both morphological and molecular data from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China. A multigene phylogenetic analysis (nrITS, nrLSU, and rpb2) was performed mainly to verify the placement of the new species in Melanogaster. A second, nrITS-only phylogenetic analysis comprising more Melanogaster species for which only ITS sequences were available, was used to infer the relationship between the new species and as many known Melanogaster species as possible. Specimens of M.cyaneus, M.diqingensis, and M.truncatisporus formed three independent clades in a phylogenetic tree inferred from the ITS data set. The robust support from ITS for these clades and genetic similarity with other species being lower than 93.2% suggest that these three species are indeed distinct from the other Melanogaster species in the phylogeny. Morphologically, M.cyaneus is characterized by its blue or bluish gleba, light brown to yellowish brown peridium, and subglobose to globose basidiospores, 6.2-15 × 4.6-9.0 μm. Melanogasterdiqingensis is distinguished from other Melanogaster species by its pale yellow to brown-yellow peridium and obovate to subglobose basidiospores, 3.0-5.1 × 2.0-4.0 μm. Melanogastertruncatisporus is diagnosed by its subglobose to globose or irregularly elongate-pyriform basidiomata, pale yellow to deeply orange-yellow peridium, and subglobose to globose or pyriform, truncate basidiospores. Additionally, infrageneric classification based on the number of peridium layers, the average thickness of the peridium, and the average length and width of basidiospores was tested with M.cyaneus, M.diqingensis, and M.truncatisporus. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant (OPLS-DA) analysis placed the three new species within the Melanogaster, Rivulares, and Variegati sections, respectively. However, the morphologically circumscribed sections were not monophyletic in the phylogenetic tree. Therefore, the current infrageneric classification should be abandoned.

UNASSIGNED: Mycena (Pers.) Roussel (1806) is a large genus of Mycenaceae known for having small to medium-sized basidiomata. It is typified by the species Mycenagalericulata (Scop.) Gray. For years, many mycologists have made important contributions to understanding Mycena and several monographs have been published. Three specimens were collected from China that belonged to the genus Mycena. On the basis of morphological analysis and phylogenetic analyses employing DNA sequences, a new species is described.
UNASSIGNED: Mycenabrunnescens sp. nov. is described as a new species from subtropical areas of China. It is characterised by its brown pileus, whitish lamellae that turns brown when bruised, orange to brown lamellae edges, the absence of pleurocystidia and cheilocystidia with simple or branched excrescences at the apex containing yellowish-brown contents. We performed phylogenetic analyses on a concatenated dataset comprising the internal transcribed spacer and large subunit regions of nuclear ribosomal RNA using Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood methods. The result showed that the new taxon clustered in an independent group and is closely related to M.albiceps and M.flosoides.

Hiptage yangshuoensis K.Tan & K.S.Nguyen, a new species of Hiptage collected from a karst cliff close to the Lijiang River, Northeast of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, is described and illustrated based on molecular and morphological data. Hiptage yangshuoensis shares some morphological similarities with the H. multiflora F.N.Wei, but easily distinguished by its long pedicels with articulate at top, one large calyx gland, oblanceolate middle wing and lanceolate lateral wings of samara, and young branch covered rusty sericeous. The new species status is also supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS), which showed distinct systematic distinctiveness from the most morphologically similar species, H. multiflora.

Most described Mesozoic ants belong to stem groups that existed only during the Cretaceous period. Previously, the earliest known crown ants were dated to the Turonian (Late Cretaceous, ca. 94-90 million years ago (Ma)) deposits found in the USA, Kazakhstan, and Botswana. However, the recent discovery of an alate male ant in Kachin amber from the earliest Cenomanian (ca. 99 Ma), representing a new genus and species, Antiquiformica alata, revises the narrative on ant diversification. Antiquiformica can be distinctly differentiated from all known male stem ants by its geniculate antennae with elongated scape, extending far beyond the occipital margin of the head and half the length of the funiculus, as well as its partly reduced forewing venation. Furthermore, the combination of a one-segmented waist with a well-developed node, elongated scape extending beyond the occipital margin, and reduced forewing venation, particularly the completely reduced m-cu and rs-m crossveins and absence of rm and mcu closed cells, firmly places the fossil within the extant subfamily Formicinae. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that the amber containing Antiquiformica alata originated from the Kachin mines in Myanmar. This discovery significantly revises our understanding of the early evolution of Formicinae. The presence of Antiquiformica in Cenomanian amber indicates that the subfamily Formicinae emerged at least by the start of the Late Cretaceous, with crown ants likely originating earlier during the earliest Cretaceous or possibly the Late Jurassic, although paleontological evidence is lacking to support the latter hypothesis.
大多数被描述的中生代蚂蚁属于仅生存在白垩纪的基干类群。目前已知最古老的冠群蚂蚁发现于美国、哈萨克斯坦和博茨瓦纳的土仑阶沉积中（晚白垩纪，约94–90 Ma）。然而，在克钦琥珀中发现的一个森诺曼阶早期的有翅雄蚁新种（约99 Ma）——翼古老蚁（ Antiquiformica alata）改变了对蚂蚁类群分化的认识。古老蚁属（ Antiquiformica）与所有已知的雄性蚂蚁明显不同：触角呈膝状；柄节较长，延伸远超过后头边缘，长度约为鞭小节的一半；前翅翅脉部分减少。此外，古老蚁属（ Antiquiformica）具有一个发育良好的腹结节、延伸超过后头边缘的细长柄节、简化的前翅翅脉，尤其是前翅横脉m-cu和rs-m完全消失、翅室rm和mcu不闭合，这些特征都表明翼古老蚁属于现存的蚁亚科。傅里叶红外光谱（FTIR）结果表明这件琥珀来自缅甸克钦矿区。新化石的发现极大地改变了我们对蚁亚科早期演化的认识。在克钦琥珀（森诺曼阶）中发现的古老蚁属（ Antiquiformica）证实蚁亚科至少在晚白垩的早期就已经出现，而冠群蚂蚁出现时间肯定更早。冠群蚂蚁可能起源于白垩纪早期甚至侏罗纪晚期，尽管这一假设还未得到古生物学证据的支持。.