Micromorphology: Conidial heads radiating; Conidiophores biseriate; Stipes hyaline to dark brown, smooth walled, some very finely rough walled, 235-1 400 x 6.5-11 [micro]m; Vesicles globose to elongated, 18- 35 [micro]m wide; Metulae 5.5-10 x 3.5-5.5 [micro]m, metulae cover 100% of head; Phialides ampulliform, 6-8 x 2.5-4 [micro]m; Conidia globose to subglobose, smooth and finely roughened, 2.5-3.5 x 2.5-3.5 [micro]m (2.9 [+ or -] 0.2 x 2.9 [+ or -] 0.2, n = 44), average width/length = 0.97, n = 44; Sclerotia absent.
Notes: See notes for A. templicola above.
Aspergillus section Aspergillus
Aspergillus sloanii Visagie, Hirooka & Samson, sp. nov. MycoBank MB809194. Figs 36, 37.
Etymology: Latin, sloanii, named in honour of Alfred P. Sloan.
Diagnosis: Xerophillic species that does not grow on general media, grows well on DG18 and MEA with 20% sucrose, eurotium-like sexual state produced with ascospore having lenticular furrows, conidiophores uniseriate with very big rough walled conidia.
Typus: England, Middlesex, house dust, 2010, isolated by Ed Whitfield & Kalima Mwange (holotype CBS H-21811, culture extype CBS 138177 = DTO 245A1).
Additional materials examined: England, Middlesex, house dust, 2010, isolated by Ed Whitfield & Kalima Mwange, CBS 138176 = DTO 244I8, CBS 138178 = DTO 245A8, CBS 138179 = DTO 245A9, CBS 138231 = DTO 245A6.
ITS barcode: KJ775540 (alternative markers: BenA = KJ775074; CaM = KJ775309)
Colony diam, 7 d (mm): CYA no growth; CYA 30[degrees]C no growth; CYA 37[degrees]C no growth; MEA no growth; YES 3-8; DG18 27-36; OA no growth; CREA no growth.
Colony characters: CYA 25[degrees]C, 7 d: No growth. CYA 30[degrees]C, 7 d: No growth. CYA 37[degrees]C, 7 d: No growth. MEA 25[degrees]C, 7 d: Microcolonies produced after 3 wk. YES 25[degrees]C, 7 d: Microcolony surface floccose, white to greyish white; soluble pigment absent; exudate absent; reverse greyish yellow (4C5). DG18 25[degrees]C, 7 d: Colonies surface floccose; mycelial areas white to greenish yellow (1A6) depending on ascomata produced; sporulation dull green (26D3); ascomata yellow; soluble pigment absent; exudate absent; reverse greenish white to pale green to greyish green (30A2-3-B3). OA 25[degrees]C, 7 d: No growth. CREA 25[degrees]C, 7 d: No growth.
Micromorphology: Conidial heads radiating, produced only on DG18; Conidiophores uniseriate; Stipes hyaline, smooth walled, 160-890 x (6.5-)10-14(-16) [micro]m; Vesicles globose to elongated, sometimes as wide as stipe, (12.5-)25-47(-61) [micro]m wide; Phialides ampulliform, 9-13 x 5-7 [micro]m, covering 100% of head; Conidia ellipsoidal, minor proportion subglobose, spiny, up to 1.5 [micro]m, (5.5- )7.5- 9.5(-11) x 5.5-8.5 [micro]m (8.4 [+ or -] 0.85 x 7.36 [+ or -] 0.6, n = 45), average width/length = 0.88, n = 42; Ascomata present, Eurotium-like with one layer of mycelia covering ascocarp, 80-170 [micro]m diam; Asci 11-22 [micro]m diam; Ascospores lenticular, furrowed, 4.5-6.5 [micro]m diam.
Notes: Aspergillus sloanii is a monophyletic group within a clade with Aspergillus species that produce a Eurotium-like sexual state (Fig. 36). Its closest relatives, A. glaucus and A. proliferans, grow better on media with high sugar concentrations, but can also grow on the normal CYA, MEA and OA. However, A. sloanii...