New records of entomopathogenous fungi of the genus Cordyceps s. l. (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) from the State of Mexico

Cordyceps s. l. is an entomopathogenic genus that has been poorly studied in Mexico and because of the limited explorations, the species diversity of this group in the region is unknown. Therefore, with the objective to contribute to the knowledge of this taxonomic group, samplings were carried out in the Southeastern region of the State of Mexico to determine the diversity of the genus. In total 236 specimens were examined, which represent 7 identified species: Ophiocordyceps entomorrhiza, O. gracilioides, O. gracilis and the conidial stage of Ophiocordyceps stylophora, which are first records for the State of Mexico, and Cordyceps takaomontana and C. scarabaeicola, first records for Mexico. This new research increases the records of entomopathogenous fungi to 17 known species for Mexico, one of the 5 megadiverse countries in the world, showing the need for further exploration on this specific taxonomic group of fungi. (C) 2017 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia.