PHYLOGENY OF METARHIZIUM - ANALYSIS OF RIBOSOMAL DNA-SEQUENCE DATA

Parsimony and neighbour joining analysis of complete sequence data of the internal transcribed spacer regions and the 5.8 s gene of 19 unique sequences from 31 fungal isolates supports Metarhizium as a monophyletic group. Three species were recognized: M anisopliae, M flavoviride and M album. M anisopliae and M flavoviride/M. album represent two separate evolutionary lines within Metarhizium. Within M anisopliae two groups are recognized, informally designated group A and B of M anisopliae. it is likely that one of these corresponds to M anisopliae var. anisopliae and the other represents a new variety of M anisopliae which requires formal description. Two isolates within group A of M anisopliae correspond to M anisopliae var. majus. Three New Zealand isolates (F1698, F1699 and F1702) originally assigned to M anisopliae fall into the M flavoviride and M album group; their phylogenetic position warrants further investigation. Parsimony analysis, in combination with T-PTP testing, demonstrates that rDNA sequence data can be used to resolve evolutionary relationships within Mefarhizium.