DISCOVERY OF ENTOMOPATHOGENIC FUNGI Cordyceps takaomontana AT LANGBIAN MOUNTAIN, LAM DONG, VIET NAM

The stromata of Cordyceps sp. were found on the Langbian Mountain – Da Lat, Vietnam at the height of 1.650 meter above sea level, on the larva of Lepidoptera. Stromata were lemon-yellow, clavate to elongated clavate, arising from a white pseudosclerotium. The fertile head was on the top part of stromata, darker coloured in comparison to the stipe. Perithecium was narrowly ovoid, superficial and forming dark yellow punctate on the surface of stromata. Ascus cylindrical with semi- spherical cap. Ascospores were cylindric, truncated and separately after discharge from the ascus.Pure culture was isolated on Potato Glucose Agar (PGA) medium: white colony in young and yellow in old. The isolated mycelium was not homogenous in thickness and in growth rate at the peripheral area. Conidiophores were phialide, tapering to both apexes. Conidia had elliptical shape and form into chains after maturation.DNA was isolated, then purified from pure mycelium and used to amplifying the nrLSU (nuclear ribosomal large subunit) sequence. The amplified products were used for sequencing, proof-reading by some professional solfwares before combining with other nrLSU sequences. Then this database was used to search for the suitable evolution model as well as to construct the phylogenetic trees.The results of phylogenetic analysis completely supported the morphological classification: DL0038A and DL0038B were Cordyceps takaomontana