In: Sydowia 78, (2025): 95-104; ISSN 0082-0598, DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia78-2026-0095, Published online on May 26th, 2025

South American species of Syncephalis (Zoopagales, Zoopagomycota): Syncephalis recifensis, sp. nov., and a second worldwide record

Mateus Oliveira da Cruz, Gerald L. Benny, Leslie Waren Silva de Freitas, Roger Fagner Ribeiro Melo, Hsiao-Man Ho &
André Luiz Cabral Monteiro de Azevedo Santiago*

1,3,4,6 Department of Mycology, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil; 2Department of Plant Pathology, University of
Florida, Gainesville, USA; 5Department of Science Education, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei, Taiwan.
* e-mail: andrelcabral@msn.com

Cruz M.O., Benny G.L., Freitas L.W.S., Melo R.F.R., Ho H-M. & Santiago, A.L.C.M.A. (2025) South American species of Syncephalis (Zoopagales, Zoopagomycota): Syncephalis recifensis, sp. nov., and a second worldwide record. – Sydowia 78: 95–104.

Syncephalis contains the largest number of species of any genus in the Zoopagales. These fungi can parasitize Mucorales, Mortierellales and rarely Ascomycota fungi. However, taxonomic and ecological knowledge of these mycoparasites is still limited. During a survey of coprophilous zygosporic fungi in Brazil, a new species of Syncephalis was discovered. It forms merosporangiophores straight to slightly bent, short, unbranched, solitary or in pairs, with obovoid, rarely applanate vesicles. Merosporangia are unbranched and contain up to six ellipsoidal merospores. We also discovered S. floridana for the first time in South America, being the second record worldwide. A table with morphological characteristics of both additions, as well as all Syncephalis species from South America is provided. This study contributes to the taxonomic and ecological knowledge of Syncephalis.

Keywords: coprophilous fungi, fungal ecology, taxonomy, Zoopagales. – 1 new species.