Leptographium piriforme — first record for Europe and of potential pathogenicity

Leptographium piriforme Greif, Gibas & Currah, described in 2006 from western Canada has recently been collected in Jaroszowiec in Poland. The ophiostomatoid fungus L. piriforme was isolated from fallen Pinus sylvestris L. shoots infested by Tomicus spp. Isolates were identified to species using morphological characteristics and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences. Two-year-old P. sylvestris seedlings were wound-inoculated with one isolate of L. piriforme. Leptographium piriforme produced necrotic lesions in the phloem of the seedlings, but none of the plant inoculated with this fungus died. This is the first report of L. piriforme from Poland and entire Europe.

A comparison of mycangial and phoretic fungi of individual mountain pine beetles

Two ophiostomatoid fungi, Ophiostoma clavigerum (Robinson-Jeffrey & Davidson) Harrington and Ophiostoma montium (Rumbold) von Arx, are known to be associated with the mycangia of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins. However, virtually nothing is known regarding the phoretic fungi carried on the external surface of the exoskeleton of this beetle. In this study, I compared the phoretic fungi of individual D. ponderosae with the fungi carried in their mycangia. As many beetles carried ophiostomatoid fungi on the exoskeleton as in the mycangia; however, the species of ophiostomatoid fungus carried phoretically on an individual beetle was not always the same as was carried in its mycangia. Ophiostoma montium was isolated more often from exoskeletal surfaces than from mycangia, while the reverse was true for O. clavigerum. It appears that O. clavigerum is highly adapted for mycangial dissemination, while O. montium is adapted to phoretic as well as mycangial dissemination. Ophiostoma ips (Rumbold) Nannf. was phoretic on two beetles, indicating that cross-contamination with fungi from cohabiting Ips spp. may sometimes occur. Several non-ophiostomatoid fungi were isolated from exoskeletal surfaces, but none consistently so. All non-ophiostomatoid fungi isolated were common saprophytes often found in beetle-killed trees. Yeasts were also common and were isolated more often from the exoskeleton than from mycangia.

Ophiostoma protearum sp.nov. associated with Protea caffra infructescences

A new ophiostomatoid fungus, Ophiostoma protearum, and its Sporothrix anamorph, is described based on isolations from infructescences of Protea caffra. The species is compared with ophiostomatoid fungi previously described from Protea infructescences in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Based on differences in their anamorphs, there appear to be two evolutionary lines among these fungi in this niche. Key words: Ceratocystis, Ceratocystiopsis, Ophiostoma protearum, Sporothrix, Knoxdaviesia, biogeography.