Auxarthronopsis, a new genus of Onygenales isolated from the vicinity of Bandhavgarh National Park, India

An interesting onygenalean ascomycete was isolated from soil collected from a hollow tree near Bandhavgarh National Park situated in central India. The keratinophilic nature associated with a malbranchea-like asexual morph, appendaged mesh-like reticuloperidia, and subglobose to oblate, punctate ascospores, support the inclusion of this isolate in Onygenaceae. Further, the pale cream ascomata, punctate ascospores, and swollen septa in the peridial hyphae suggested that this was a new species of Auxarthron. However, phylogenetic study of LSU, SSU and ITS sequences, and presence of more than three swollen septa on the peridial appendages, do not support a placement within Auxarthron, and the new generic name Auxarthronopsis is introduced to accommodate this new fungus. The distinguishing features of this new taxon are the multiple (≥10) swollen septa on the appendages attached to its reticulate, loosely mesh-like peridium, the finely and regularly punctate ascospores, and the production of arthroconidial and aleurioconidial asexual forms. Sequence analysis of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2, SSU and LSU regions clearly separate this fungus from monophyletic Auxarthron and other taxa bearing some morphological similarity. Phylogenetically, Auxarthronopsis bandhavgarhensis gen. sp. nov. is closest to Amauroascus purpureus, A. volatilis-patellis, Nannizziopsis albicans, and Renispora flavissima, but differs morphologically.