Fungalpedia – Note 3086, Microcera

 

Microcera Desm., Annls Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3 10: 359 (1848).

Citation when using this data: Perera RH et al. 2023 – Fungalpedia.

Index Fungorum, Facesoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.

Classification: Nectriaceae, Hypocreales, Hypocreomycetidae, Sordariomycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.

Entomogenous, mostly parasitic on scale insects, sometimes reported on aphids, adelgids and, saprobic on plant matter or soil. Sexual morph: Stroma and/or byssus covering host surface. Ascomata perithecial, solitary or gregarious, globose, bluntly papillate, collapsing or pinched upon drying, orange to dark red, KOH+ dark red or violet, surface finely roughened. Paraphyses lacking. Asci 8-spored, cylindrical to narrowly clavate, with an apical ring. Ascospores uniseriate, hyaline to pale yellow-brown, 1(–3)-septate, smooth-walled or tuberculate when mature. Asexual morph: Fusarium-like, synnematous or sporodochial. Conidiophores first occurring as lateral phialides on somatic hyphae, becoming monochasial, verticillate to penicillate, hyaline, develop into sporodochia or synnemata. Conidiogenous cells monophialidic, cylindrical to subulate to subclavate, hyaline. Macroconidia subcylindrical, curved, (0–)3–5(–12)-septate, hyaline, apical cell often slightly or conspicuously hooked, basal cell papillate to well-developed, foot-shaped, pale, orange, pink or bright red in mass (adapted from Gräfenhan et al. 2011; Crous et al. 2021).

Known distribution: Worldwide (Booth 1971; Rossman 1983; Gräfenhan et al. 2011).

Notes: Wollenweber and Reinking (1935) transferred Microcera species to Fusarium and, this classification was followed by subsequent authors (Booth 1971; Gerlach and Nirenberg 1982; Nelson et al. 1983; Snyder and Hansen 1945; Leslie et al. 2006). Gräfenhan et al. (2011) revived the genus based on phylogenetic analysis which confirmed the generic concept of Microcera. In current phylogenetic analysis, Microcera claded within Nectriaceae with close phylogenetic affinities to Macroconia (Perera RH et al. 2023).

Type species: Microcera coccophila Desm., Annls Sci. Nat., Bot., sér. 3 10: 359 (1848).

Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Microcera.

 

Figure 1 – Microcera coccophila (K (M) 165807, lectotype) a Herbarium material label b Herbarium material c Flame-like synnemata emerging from the stroma d–f Conidiophores and conidiogenous cells g–m Conidia. Scale bars: c = 500 µm, d, e = 50 µm, f = 20, g–m = 50 µm.

 

References

Booth C 1971 — The genus Fusarium, Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, Surrey, England, pp 1–237.

Crous P, Lombard L, Sandoval-Denis M et al. 2021 — Fusarium: more than a node or a foot-shaped basal cell. Stud Mycol 98:100116.

Gerlach W, Nirenberg HI 1982 — The genus Fusarium — A pictorial atlas Mitt Biol Bundesanst Land- Forstwirtsch 209:1–406.

Gräfenhan T, Schroers HJ, Nirenberg HI et al. 2011 — An overview of the taxonomy, phylogeny, and typification of nectriaceous fungi in Cosmospora, Acremonium, Fusarium, Stilbella, and Volutella. Stud Mycol 68:79–113.

Leslie JF, Summerell BA, Bullock S 2006 – The Fusarium laboratory manual. Blackwell Publishing, Ames, Oxford, and Victoria 1–388.

Nelson PE, Toussoun TA, Marasas WFO 1983 – . Fusarium species: An illustrated manual for identification. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, Pennsylvania.1–193.

Perera, R.H., Hyde, K.D., Jones, E.B.G. et al. 2023 — Profile of Bionectriaceae, Calcarisporiaceae, Hypocreaceae, Nectriaceae, Tilachlidiaceae, Ijuhyaceae fam. nov., Stromatonectriaceae fam. nov. and Xanthonectriaceae fam. nov. Fungal Diversity 118, 95–271.

Rossman AY 1983 – The phragmosporous species of Nectria and related genera (Calonectria, Ophionectria, Paranectria, Scoleconectria and Trichonectria). Mycol Pap 150:1–164.

Snyder WC, Hansen HN 1945 — The species concept in Fusarium with reference to Discolor and other sections. Am J Bot 32:657–666.

Wollenweber HW, Reinking OA 1935 — Die Fusarien, ihre Beschreibung, Schadwirkung und Bekiimpfung, Paul Parey, Berlin. Germany.

 

Entry by

Perera RH, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, Guizhou 550006, P. R. China, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, School of Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand, Mushroom Research Foundation, 128 M.3 Ban Pa Deng T. Pa Pae, A. Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai 50150, Thailand.

 

Published online 3 September 2026.

 

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