The Podospora anserina (Rabenh.) Niessl species complex in metropolitan and overseas France with description of a new species, Podospora reunionensis Silar, sp. nov.

Podospora anserina (Rabenh.) Niessl is a model fungus that was shown to belong to a complex of seven species with morphologically indistinguishable sexual fruiting bodies. Through the morphological analyses and ITS (Intergenic Transcribed Spacer) sequences of 86 newly-isolated strains, as well as the genome sequences of five strains, we show that members of the P. anserina species complex present different distribution ranges in metropolitan and overseas France. Podospora anserina is present all-over metropolitan France, including Corsica, while P. comata Milovtz. is restricted to the Northern part and P. pauciseta (Ces.) Traverso to the Southern part of continental France. The Guadeloupe hosts P. pseudoanserina C.Boucher, T.S.Nguyen & P.Silar and La Réunion island a species new to science, described here as Podospora reunionensis Silar, sp. nov. This species is closely related to P. comata, but exhibit clear morphological and biological differences.