Pleurocordyceps tengchongensis X. Zhang, K. D. Hyde & T. C. Wen 2026, sp. nov.

Pleurocordyceps tengchongensis X. Zhang, K. D. Hyde & T. C. Wen sp. nov. Fig. 8 Etymology. Reference to Tengchong City, Yunnan Province, the locality where the type specimen was collected. Type. CHINA • Yunnan Province, Tengchong City, Houqiao Town, 25°11'30.63"N, 98°15'23.38"E, alt. 2152 m, 18 October 2024, Xian Zhang, HQ 5 (holotype: HKAS 149971). Description. Parasitic on a larva of Lasiocampidae (Lepidoptera), 37.4 × 4.0– 7.6 mm, yellowish-brown. Sexual morph: undetermined. Asexual morph: Synnemata 3.9–5.3 mm long, 0.3–0.6 mm wide, multiple, branched, cylindrical, clavate, capitate, stipitate, with fertile head at the apex, on the stromata of a larva of Lasiocampidae. Conidiophores 20.5–25.5 μm (x ̄ = 23.2 µm, n = 15), erect, arising from hyphae, bearing phialides aggregates or clusters, often additional branches occur which are equal in length form stipe structures, 1–4 phialides. Phialides 13.2–16.2 × 0.8–2.1 μm (x ̄ = 14.3 × 1.3 µm, n = 30), gathered on the tip of synnema, slender, elongated lageniform, tapering gradually from the base to the apex, hyaline, smooth-walled. Conidia 2.3–3.3 × 1–1.7 µm (x ̄ = 2.9 × 1.5 µm, n = 30), one-celled, hyaline, smooth-walled, oval. Habitat and distribution. On dead larva of Lasiocampidae (Lepidoptera); currently known from southwestern China. Additional specimens examined. CHINA • Yunnan Province, Tengchong City, Houqiao Town, 25°11'30.63"N, 98°15'23.38"E, alt. 2152 m, 18 October 2024, Xian Zhang, HQ 6 (paratype: HKAS 149972). Notes. The newly proposed species, Pl. tengchongensis, forms a sister lineage to Pl. heilongtanensis with 100 % ML / 0.98 PP support (Fig. 1). Morphologically, Pl. tengchongensis differs from Pl. heilongtanensis in having hirsutella-like phialides with a rapidly tapering neck (Xiao et al. 2023). Based on these phylogenetic and morphological distinctions, Pl. tengchongensis is proposed as a novel species within the genus Pleurocordyceps.