Termitomyces cryptogamus sp. nov. associated with Macrotermes natalensis in Africa

Abstract

A new species of Termitomyces symbiotic with the termite Macrotermes natalensis is described from Africa. As there are no records of field collected basidiocarps within this lineage, traditional basidiocarp-based morphological taxonomy is not practical. While basidiocarps may be obtained rarely from incubation of fungal comb fragments, their practical use for taxonomical purposes is limited. Therefore, the species is described based on an ITS nucleotide sequence, with comparisons to an asexual culture. Based on samples with similar ITS sequences, this species is likely associated with multiple termite hosts across a large part of Africa.