Two new Ophiostoma species lacking conidial states isolated from bark beetles and bark beetle-infested Abies species in Japan

Abstract

Two ophiostomatoid fungi without conidiophores and conidia were isolated from bark beetles and bark beetle-infested Abies spp. The teleomorph characters were similar to species of Ophiostoma, but the absence of the conidial stage hampered their exact generic assignment. Detailed morphological observations and molecular analysis clarified their generic affiliation. Consequently, they were placed in the genus Ophiostoma , but their morphology and DNA sequences did not coincide with any other species of Ophiostoma. Here, we propose these two species as Ophiostoma aoshimae sp. nov. and Ophiostoma rectangulosporium sp. nov. The former species is characterized by perithecial necks ornamented with projections and ellipsoid to oblong ascospores, and the latter species is characterized by perithecial necks ornamented with rectangular ascospores and white colonies.