Three new Ophiocordyceps species in the Ophiocordyceps pseudoacicularis species complex on Lepidoptera larvae in Southeast Asia

Three new Ophiocordyceps species with superficial perithecia on Lepidoptera larvae are described: O. campes, O. longistromata, and O. phuwiangensis. Ophiocordyceps longistromata is characterized by long stromata and is closely related to O. campes based on morphological characters and phylogenetic position. Ophiocordyceps phuwiangensis is distinguished from closely related species by producing small ovoid superficial perithecia and multiseptate whole ascospores. Molecular phylogenies based on LSU, TEF, RPB1, and RPB2 gene loci also confirmed the distinctiveness of these new species and clustered with other specimens that produced the Hirsutella asexual morph with helical twisting of the phialide necks and are phylogenetically distinct from other known species characters in this clade.