Discovery of Gibellula floridensis from Infected Spiders and Analysis of the Surrounding Fungal Entomopathogen Community

Characterization of fungal spider pathogens lags far behind their insect counterparts. In addition, little to nothing is known concerning the ecological reservoir and/or fungal entomopathogen community surrounding infection sites. Five infected spider cadavers were identified in the neo-tropical climate of north-central Florida, USA, from three of which viable cultures were obtained. Multi-locus molecular phylogenetic and morphological characterization identified one isolate as a new <i>Gibellula</i> species, here named, <i>Gibellula floridensis</i>, and the other isolates highly similar to <i>Parengyodontium album</i>. The fungal entomopathogen community surrounding infected spiders was sampled at different habitats/trophic levels, including soil, leaf litter, leaf, and twig, and analyzed using ITS amplicon sequencing. These data revealed broad but differential distribution of insect-pathogenic fungi between habitats and variation between sites, with members of genera belonging to <i>Metarhizium</i> and <i>Metacordyceps</i> from Clavicipitaceae, <i>Purpureocillium</i> and <i>Polycephalomyces</i> from Ophiocordyceps, and <i>Akanthomyces</i> and <i>Simplicillium</i> from Cordycipitaceae predominating. However, no sequences corresponding to <i>Gibellula</i> or <i>Parengyodontium</i>, even at the genera levels, could be detected. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed. These data highlight novel discovery of fungal spider pathogens and open the broader question regarding the environmental distribution and ecological niches of such host-specific pathogens.