Pestalotiopsis (Amphisphaeriales, Sporocadaceae) species including six new taxa inhabiting pines from different climate zones in China

Pine forest is important in China. However, its health has been increasingly threatened by pine needle blight caused by Pestalotiopsis species. Although several fungal species residing in this genus have been recorded, the diversity of Pestalotiopsis species inhabiting pine trees remains largely unresolved.

In this study, a total of 209 diseased pine needle samples were collected from three provinces including Shandong, Zhejiang and Guangdong representing different climate zones in China. Subsequently, 100 isolates resembling Pestalotiopsis were obtained and 74 selected for characterisation, based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), translation elongation factor 1 - alpha (tef 1 - α) and beta-tubulin (tub 2) regions, as well as a combination of morphological characteristics.

Ten Pestalotiopsis species were characterised including four known species (Pes. clavata, Pes. disseminata, Pes. guangxiensis and Pes. lushanensis) and six new to science, of which (Pes. jiangmenensis, Pes. massoniana, Pes. ningboensis, Pes. shanweiensis, Pes. thunbergii and Pes. wenzhouensis) are described here. This study further represents the first report of Pes. clavata and Pes. guangxiensis on Pinus. The results enhance our understanding and knowledge on the diversity of Pestalotiopsis inhabiting pines in China.