Fungi vectored by the introduced bark beetle Tomicus piniperda in Ontario, Canada, and comments on the taxonomy of Leptographium lundbergii, Leptographium terebrantis, Leptographium truncatum, and Leptographium wingfieldii

Abstract

Fungi isolated from Tomicus piniperda (L.) galleries in infected trap logs, standing trees, and directly from insects were identified using morphological features and molecular data obtained from the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA region. Identified strains represented Leptographium wingfieldii Morelet, Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) Wingf., Leptographium lundbergii Lag. & Melin sensu Jacobs & Wingfield, Ophiostoma ips (Rumb.) Nannf., Ophiostoma minus (Hedg.) H. & P. Syd., and Sphaeropsis sapinea sensu lato. Leptographium wingfieldii is believed to be a potentially pathogenic introduced fungus, but sequence data suggest a possible connection between it and the teleomorph of Ophiostoma aureum (Robinson-Jeffrey & Davids.) T.C. Harrington (reported from British Columbia and the western United States). Our data also show that the ex-type culture of Leptographium terebrantis Barras & Perry, a species very similar morphologically to L. wingfieldii, also grouped with L. wingfieldii. We also identified strains of Leptographium truncatum (Wingf. & Marasas) Wingf.; this species has been synonymized with L. lundbergii, but our data indicate that these are distinct species, and therefore, the name L. truncatum should be reinstated. We also report the extended presence of L. procerum in Ontario. Previously viewed as a “southern” species frequently associated with pine-root decline diseases, it has been infrequently reported from New York state and but once each from Ontario and Quebec.