Phylogenetic analysis ofMonascusand new species from honey, pollen and nests of stingless bees

The genusMonascuswas described by van Tieghem (1884) to accommodateM. ruberandM. mucoroides, two species with non-ostiolate ascomata. Species delimitation in the genus is still mainly based on phenotypic characters, and taxonomic studies that include sequence data are limited. The genus is of economic importance. Species are used in fermented Asian foods as food colourants (e.g. ‘red rice’ (ang-kak, angka)) and found as spoilage organisms, and recentlyMonascuswas found to be essential in the lifecycle of stingless bees. In this study, a polyphasic approach was applied combining morphological characters, ITS, LSU, β-tubulin, calmodulin and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit sequences and extrolite data, to delimit species and to study phylogenetic relationships inMonascus. Furthermore, 30Monascusisolates from honey, pollen and nests of stingless bees in Brazil were included. Based on this polyphasic approach, the genusMonascusis resolved in nine species, including three new species associated with stingless bees (M. flavipigmentosussp. nov.,M. mellicolasp. nov.,M. recifensissp. nov.,M. argentinensis,M. floridanus,M. lunisporas,M. pallens,M. purpureus,M. ruber), and split in two new sections (sectionFloridanisect. nov., sectionRubrisect. nov.). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the xerophileMonascus eremophilusdoes not belong inMonascusand monophyly inMonascusis restored with the transfer ofM. eremophilustoPenicillium(P. eremophilumcomb. nov.). A list of accepted and excludedMonascusandBasipetosporaspecies is given, together with information on (ex-)types cultures and barcode sequence data.