Karst caves are oligotrophic environments that appear to support a high diversity of fungi. Studies of fungi in Thailand’s caves are limited. During a 2019 exploration of the mycobiota associated with soil samples from a karst cave, namely, Phu Pha Phet in the Satun UNESCO Global Geopark in Satun Province, southern Thailand, two previously undescribed fungi belonging to Talaromyces (Trichocomaceae, Eurotiales, Eurotiomycetes) were studied using a polyphasic approach combining phenotypic and molecular data. Based on datasets of four loci (ITS, BenA, CaM, and RPB2), phylogenetic trees of the section Trachyspermi were constructed, and two new species—Talaromyces phuphaphetensis sp. nov. and T. satunensis sp. nov.—phylogenetically related to T. subericola, T. resinae, and T. brasiliensis, are described. Detailed descriptions and illustrations of the new species are provided. This study increases the number of cave-dwelling soil fungi discovered in Thailand’s Satun UNESCO Global Geopark, which appears to be a unique environment with a high potential for discovering fungal species previously undescribed.

Asexual morphs of freshwater fungi have been mostly reported from tropical and subtropical regions. From our ongoing investigation of the diversity and taxonomy of freshwater microfungi in Thailand, a country with rich natural resources and diverse ecosystems, Parafuscosporella ellipsoconidiogena sp. nov. and P. obovata sp. nov., collected from decaying submerged twigs at Phalad Waterfall in a conserved forest in Chiang Mai Zoo, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, are proposed. DNA phylogenies based on a combination of ITS and LSU datasets support the placement of these species in Parafuscosporella (Fuscosporellaceae, Fuscosporellales, Sordariomycetes), and these two novel species differ from known species in terms of morphology. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and a key to Parafuscosporella species are provided, as well as comparisons with other accepted Parafuscosporella species.

Dialdehyde cellulose (DAC), featuring reactive carbonyl groups introduced via oxidation of hemp-derived cellulose fibers (confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy), was synthesized to promote strong hydrogen bonding with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) for composite development. In this study, DAC was incorporated into hydrogel composites reinforced with mycelium from three fungal species: Ganoderma boninense, Pleurotus eryngii, and P. ostreatus, thereby enabling direct comparison of their effects on composite performance. Notably, this work pioneers the use of G. boninense—a phytopathogenic fungus with a dense, hydrophobic mycelial architecture (contact angle 104.1°)—as a novel reinforcing agent in the DAC–PVA matrix. The resulting mycelium-reinforced composites demonstrated enhanced thermal stability, as confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), which identified a multi-stage pyrolysis process primarily occurring between 200 and 500 °C. Mechanical characterization further revealed significant improvements in tensile strength and elongation at break: P. eryngii reinforcement yielded the highest tensile strength (18.3 MPa). At the same time, G. boninense imparted exceptional flexibility (elongation at break 93.3%). Furthermore, the composites exhibited significantly reduced swelling ratios—Ganoderma boninense, Pleurotus eryngii, and P. ostreatus recorded swelling ratios of 400.9%, 405.3%, and 319.3%, respectively—accompanied by enhanced dimensional stability and a transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic surfaces, as confirmed by contact angle measurements. Altogether, these mycelium-reinforced DAC–PVA composites represent promising sustainable materials, suitable for diverse applications that require superior mechanical performance, water resistance, and thermal stability, such as biodegradable packaging, biomedical scaffolds, environmental sensors, and construction.

Species of Kionochaeta are saprobes commonly associated with decaying plant materials. As a part of surveys on freshwater microfungi, Kionochaeta-like taxon was found on a submerged decaying twig at a rivulet in the protected forest area of Khao Kheow Open Zoo (KKOZ), eastern Thailand. This taxon is microscopically similar to Kionochaeta, but clearly differs by its accessory lateral setiform branches and sterile setae arising beside the conidiophores. Multi-locus phylogenies inferred from four combined loci (SSU, ITS, LSU and RPB2) demonstrated that this taxon clustered as a unique clade with Kionochaeta species (Chaetosphaeriaceae, Chaetosphaeriales). Therefore, we introduce this taxon as K. setosimplicia, and it is phylogenetically close to K. castaneae, K. ramifera and K. pughii. Kionochaeta setosimplicia is separated from K. microspora and K. spissa. In Kionochaeta clade 1, K. nanophora forms a basal taxon. Kionochaeta ivoriensis forms a distinct Kionochaeta clade 2 distant from other Kionochaeta.