A mid-Cretaceous fungus, Philothysanus burmanicus gen. et sp. nov. (Ascomycota: Spheciophilaceae), on a thrip (Thysanoptera) in Burmese amber

Authors

  • George Poinar Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR 97331 USA.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37819/biosis.001.04.0158

Keywords:

fossil fungus, Thysanoptera, Early Cretaceous, Burmese amber

Abstract

Male and female thalli of a mid-Cretaceous fungus attached to a thrip (Thysanoptera) in Burmese amber are described as Philothysanus burmanicus gen. et sp. nov. in the family Spheciophilaceae (Ascomycota). Both spermatia and ascospores are present. Currently, Philothysanus burmanicus gen. et sp. nov., together with the previously described Spheciophilia adercia Poinar, represent the oldest known ectoparasitic fungi of insects and their age can be used as a reference point in future phylogenetic studies on the origin of fungi with this life style.

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Published

2021-12-27

How to Cite

Poinar, G. (2021). A mid-Cretaceous fungus, Philothysanus burmanicus gen. et sp. nov. (Ascomycota: Spheciophilaceae), on a thrip (Thysanoptera) in Burmese amber. Biosis: Biological Systems, 2(4), 408–415. https://doi.org/10.37819/biosis.001.04.0158

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 4 (2021): Biosis: Biological Systems

Section

Original research

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