Laboulbeniomycetes

Herpomyces sp.

The Laboulbeniomycetes are a class of Ascomycota. They are mostly parasites of insects.

Features

A mycelium is not formed except for the Pyxidiophorales. The thallus is translucent ( hyaline ) to dark and has a basal haustorium.

The fruiting bodies are transparent, ovoid, thin-walled perithecia, which are often surrounded by annexes. There are few, basal standing asci. These are not fissitunicat, club-shaped, thin-walled and mature sequentially. They usually form four spores. The ascospores are two-celled, hyaline and oblong. One end is transformed as Anhaftstelle to the host.

The anamorphs are hyphomycetes.

System

The position of the class in the subdivision Pezizomycotina is not hedged. In the study by Spatafora no representatives of the class were included. The class is currently still set to the Pezizomycotina and includes two orders:

• Laboulbeniales with four families and about 1500 species. They are insect parasites.
• Pyxidiophorales with single family Pyxidiophoraceae with two genera. You are mycoparasites and Koprophile. Mycorhynchidium
• Pyxidiophora

The two systems have a very different fruiting body morphology. However, the ascospores with their adhesion apparatus are very similar. The relationship between the two systems was confirmed in 1994 by Blackwell by DNA sequence comparisons.