Lichtheimia indica, a new species of Mucorales (Mucoromycota) from India

Lal Sahab Yadav, Pinky Kanade, Vinodkumar Kushwaha, Satish Maurya, Prashant Patil & Andre L.C.M. de A. Santiago

Sydowia 77: 17-37

Published online on August 5th, 2024

During studies on filamentous oleaginous fungi from industrial area soil of Dombivili, India, some lipase producing mucoraceous fungi were isolated. Based on polyphasic approaches a new species is described here under the family Lichtheimiaceae of the order Mucorales. Lichtheimia indica sp. nov. forms monopodially, sympodially and verticillately branched sporangiophores, as well as sub-globose to ellipsoidal sporangiospores. Abundant bulbous giant cells and chlamydospores are observed on MEA, PDA and SMA media. The new species grows best at 35 °C and has its upper maximum growth at 40 °C. Lichtheimia indica is distinguished from the other Lichtheimia species by ITS and LSU rDNA sequences. The phylogenetic tree provides a strong support for the sibling relationship between the newly described species and L. ornata and L. corymbifera. This is the eleventh species within the genus Lichtheimia.

Keywords: ITS, LSU, Lichtheimiaceae, molecular phylogeny, taxonomy.

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