Leptobacillium longiphialidum Hong Yu bis, Y. L. Lu & Jing Zhao 2025, sp. nov.

Leptobacillium longiphialidum Hong Yu bis, Y. L. Lu & Jing Zhao sp. nov. Fig. 8 Etymology. Referring to its longer phialides than those of the close relationship species in this genus. Holotype. China • Hainan Province, Qiongzhong City, Limushan Town, Limushan National Forest Park. Specimens were collected from an evergreen broad-leaved forest, alt. 589.9 m, 109°44'28"E, 19°10'41"N, 8 March 2023, Jing Zhao (holotype: YHH LL 2303001, ex-type living culture: YFCC 23039272). Description. Sexual morph. Not found. Asexual morph. The colony was incubated at 25°C on PDA medium for 14 days, the growth rate was slow, the diameter was 25–27 mm, the middle was fluffy to cotton, dense, convex and radial wrinkles, white and reverse brown to light yellow on the back. Mycelium branches, smooth walls, septate, transparent, with a diameter of approximately 0.97 × 1.72 µm. Cultures readily produced phialides and conidia after 10 days on PDA medium at room temperature. Phialides solitary, columnar, tapering from base to apex, 24.01–205.77 µm long, 1.00–2.24 µm wide. Conidia 2.88–4.54 × 1.18–1.95 µm, transparent, single celled in chains, smooth walls, narrow columnar or spindle-shaped, with apical conidia elliptical or nearly spherical in shape. Host. Spider. Distribution. China, Hainan Province, Guangdong Province. Additional material examined. China • Guangdong Province, Huizhou City, Boluo County, 511 Township Road. Specimens were collected from an evergreen broad-leaved forest, alt. 29.4 m, 114°24'5"E, 23°14'32"N, 23 July 2024, Hong Yu and Y. L. Lu (paratype: YHH LL 2407001, ex-paratype living culture: YFCC 24079491. Remarks. The key characteristic of L. longiphialidum was its independent, columnar shape and the presence of narrow or fusiform spores. Phylogenetic analyses showed that L. longiphialidum belonged to the Leptobacillium clade and was closest to L. marksiae. However, the host and collection sites of L. longiphialidum were spiders and China, respectively and the host and collection sites of L. marksiae were an unidentified dead insect and Queensland, Australia, respectively. L. longiphialidum and L. marksiae were distinguished by genetic distance. (Table 3).