The Herpomycetales is an order of

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

within the

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

Laboulbeniomycetes. The order includes a single dioecious genus, '' Herpomyces'', with 27 accepted species of obligate

ectoparasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson ha ...

that are associated exclusively with

cockroaches Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known a ...

. Like the

Laboulbeniales The Laboulbeniales is an order of Fungi within the class Laboulbeniomycetes. They are also known by the colloquial name beetle hangers or labouls. The order includes around 2,325 species of obligate insect ectoparasites that produce cellular ...

order, they produce

cellular Cellular may refer to: *Cellular automaton, a model in discrete mathematics * Cell biology, the evaluation of cells work and more * ''Cellular'' (film), a 2004 movie *Cellular frequencies, assigned to networks operating in cellular RF bands *Cell ...

thalli. However, the thalli of ''Herpomyces'' are developmentally and morphologically unique. The order was described in 2019 based on the phylogenetic analysis of three gene regions. A more recent phylogeny found that Herpomycetales and Laboulbeniales are not sister clades, which provides evidence for the idea that the thallus originated at least twice in the class Laboulbeniomycetes. This is in line with the fact that thalli of both orders are developmentally and morphologically different. The draft genome of '' Herpomyces periplanetae'' has been sequenced and assembled—the only one in the class thus far. ''Herpomyces periplanetae'' is a very widespread parasite on the antennae of adult

in the genus ''

Periplaneta ''Periplaneta'' is a genus of cockroaches. Selected species Species include: * '' Periplaneta aboriginea'' Roth, 1994 * ''Periplaneta americana'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – American cockroach * ''Periplaneta australasiae'' (Fabricius, 1775) – Austr ...

'', like the common

American cockroach The american cockroach (''Periplaneta americana'') is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not ...

, ''Periplaneta americana''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q60610511 Laboulbeniomycetes Ascomycota orders