, a basal lineage within the "Zombie-Ant Fungi" clade.

The genus contains the most diverse assemblage of fungi that attack ants worldwide and are remarkably well adapted to the specific ecologies of their hosts. Thaxt. is closely related to other ant-pathogenic species within , possibly specific to queens, but the sheer infrequency of encounters and previously unsuccessful attempts to culture this fungus has precluded any meaningful assessment until now. A new record of from Louisiana was found infecting a foundress queen, the same host species favored by the more common and ubiquitous ant-pathogenic clade found in the same geographic locality. To evaluate a long-held assumption that these fungi represent synanamorphs of a single species, we sampled our specimen along with the local population for molecular comparison. We are able to present for the first time the in vitro characteristics and morphology of , as well as a phylogenetic context for this fungus based on combined molecular analysis of representative members of the Ophiocordycipitaceae. Our results place the lineage within the genus , with a basal affiliation to the core clade; thus, in accordance to the "One Fungus-One Name" (1F1N) rule, we propose a new synonym to suppress in protection of , i.e., . These results further implicate this species as an important and quintessential example of cryptic diversity among an already taxonomically diverse and ecologically important group of fungi.