Two new species of the Mallomonas mangofera species complex (Synurales, Chrysophyceae) from the tropics based on morphological and molecular studies

This research is devoted to the study of the Mallomonas mangofera species complex in a tropical region using electron microscopy and molecular methods. Based on a study of nine algal cultures belonging to the Mallomonas mangofera morphotype, two new clades were identified based on the SSU rDNA + rbcL cpDNA and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA datasets. Two new species, Mallomonas hippocrepica and M. kornevae, were described from Vietnam based on molecular characteristics and morphological analysis of the scale and bristle ultrastructure. The distribution of these taxa was analysed using the information of strains origin and a metabarcoding approach. Mallomonas hippocrepica was found in 2 localities in 2 provinces, and M. kornevae was found in 12 localities in 7 provinces in Vietnam.