Ophiocordyceps jinguangensis X. Zhang, C. J. Y. Li, K. D. Hyde & T. C. Wen 2026, sp. nov.

Ophiocordyceps jinguangensis X. Zhang, C. J. Y. Li, K. D. Hyde & T. C. Wen sp. nov. Fig. 3 Etymology. Reference to the Jinguang Temple Nature Reserve, Yongping County, Dali City, the locality where the type specimen was collected. Type. CHINA • Yunnan Province, Dali City, Yongping County, Jinguang Temple Nature Reserve, 25°15'54.11"N, 99°32'13.27"E, alt. 2280 m, 25 July 2024, Cui-Jin-Yi Li, DD 247162-1 (holotype: HKAS 149981) Description. Parasitic on a larva of Tenebrionoidea (Coleoptera), 37.4 × 2.8–5 mm, yellowish-brown. Sexual morph: Stroma arising from the abdomen and tail of the host, solitary, unbranched, yellow to brown, 10.2–16.5 × 1–2.2 mm. Fertile part up to 3.4–7.1 × 1.2–2.2 mm, cylindrical, yellow to brown, single, rough, with ostiole. Stipe clavate, light brown to brown, the color gradually becoming dark towards the apex, 7.8 × 1.0– 1.2 mm. Perithecia 306–496 × 134–223 μm (x ̄ = 388.4 × 175.9 µm, n = 15), immersed, ovoid to oblong-ovate. Asci 153.6–273.2 × 5.2–11.8 μm (x ̄ = 234.7 × 8.4 µm, n = 20), cylindrical, hyaline, with thickened apex. Apical cap 2.5–5 × 3.5–5.6 μm (x ̄ = 3.6 × 4.7 µm, n = 20), hyaline, hemispherical. Ascospores 133.4–187.6 × 1.4–2.4 µm (x ̄ = 164.3 × 1.9 µm, n = 15), filiform, hyaline, easily breaking into part-spores. Secondary ascospores 6.7–9.6 × 1.6–2.7 μm (x ̄ = 8.1 × 2.2 µm, n = 20), cylindrical, smooth-walled. Asexual morph: undetermined. Habitat and distribution. On dead larva of Tenebrionoidea (Coleoptera); currently known from southwestern China. Additional specimens examined. CHINA • Yunnan Province, Dali City, Yongping County, Jinguang Temple Nature Reserve, 25°15'54.11"N, 99°32'13.27"E, alt. 2280 m, 25 July 2024, Cui-Jin-Yi Li, DD 247162-2 (paratype: HKAS 149982). Notes. The newly described species exhibits morphological characteristics closely resembling those of O. formosana (Kobayasi and Shimizu 1980; Li et al. 2016) and O. spicatus (Zha et al. 2021), particularly in sharing features such as yellow to brown, unbranched fertile heads, cylindrical asci with the central portion slightly wider than the apical and basal regions, and filiform ascospores. Phylogenetic analysis places O. jinguangensis as a sister lineage to O. formosana and O. spicatus, with 100 % ML / 1 PP support (Fig. 1). However, O. jinguangensis is readily distinguished by its stroma lacking the vivid orange to yellow-orange pigmentation characteristic of O. formosana and O. spicatus. It further differs from O. formosana in having shorter asci (153.6–273.2 × 5.2–11.8 µm vs. 366–498 × 8–11 µm) and longer secondary ascospores (6.7–9.6 × 1.6–2.7 µm vs. 2–6 × 1–3 µm). The combined evidence from morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analyses confirms the taxonomic distinction of O. jinguangensis, thereby justifying its designation as a novel species.