Ceratocystiopsis pseudoyantaiensis D. Xie, H. W. Chen & D. F. Chi, 2025

Xie, Dan, Chen, Huanwen, Jia, Niya, Niu, Fang, Wang, Xiaomei, Yu, Jia & Chi, Defu, 2025, Ophiostomatoid fungi associated with Hylurgus ligniperda, including six new species from eastern China, IMA Fungus 16, pp. e 169382-e 169382 : e169382-

Ceratocystiopsis pseudoyantaiensis D. Xie, H. W. Chen & D. F. Chi sp. nov.

Fig. 9

Etymology.

The epithet pseudoyantaiensis (Latin) refers to the morphological resemblance and phylogenetic affinities with Ceratocystiopsis yantaiensis .

Diagnosis.

Ceratocystiopsis pseudoyantaiensis is phylogenetically distinct from all morphologically similar species, from which it can be readily distinguished using molecular sequence data for the beta-tubulin ( βT) and the elongation factor 1 - alpha ( TEF 1 - α) regions (Suppl. materials 4, 5).

Type.

China • Shandong Province: Yantai City , from H. ligniperda , Nov. 2022, Dan Xie ( holotype HMAS 354193 , dried culture prepared from NFF 1618 ; ex-holotype culture CGMCC 3.28601 = NFF 1618 ) .

Description.

Sexual morph not observed. Asexual morphs observed both synnematous and mononematous. Synnematous morph: pesotum-like, (47 –) 61–183 (– 283) μm long including conidiogenous apparatus, curving, faint yellow, the base dark yellow, aggregating into a mucilaginous spore drop, (36 –) 35–95 (– 165) μm in width. Mononematous morph: hyalorhinocladiella-like, conidiogenous cells arising directly from mycelium, (2.5 –) 4–24 (– 42) × (0.5 –) 1–1.5 (– 2) µm; conidia hyaline, smooth, unicellular, short oblong, measuring (1.5 –) 2–2.5 (– 3) × (0.5 –) 1–1.5 (– 2) μm.

Culture characteristics.

The colonies are faint yellow in color on 2 % MEA, hyphae submerged in agar with aerial mycelium. The optimal temperature for growth is 30 ° C, reaching 79 mm diam in 15 days. Growth slower at 5 ° C, 14 mm diam in 15 days.

Ecology.

Isolated from migratory beetles living in Pinus hosts. Insect vector: H. ligniperda .

Distribution.

Currently known only from Shandong Province, China.

Additional specimens examined.

China • Shandong Province: Yantai City , from H. ligniperda , Nov. 2022, D. Xie (living culture NFF 1619 ) .

Notes.

Phylogenetic analyses showed that C. pseudoyantaiensis is phylogenetically closely related to C. yantaiensis . Morphologically, C. pseudoyantaiensis differs from C. yantaiensis in its conidiogenous cells; those of C. yantaiensis are branched, while those of C. pseudoyantaiensis are not ( Chang et al. 2021). Based on both phylogenetic and morphological evidences, we propose the recognition of C. pseudoyantaiensis as a novel species.

Figures

Figure 9. Morphological characteristics of Ceratocystiopsis pseudoyantaiensis sp. nov. (NFF 1618). a. Fifteen-day-old culture on 2 % MEA; b, c. Pesotum-like asexual morph; d – f. Hyalorhinocladiella-like asexual morph: conidiogenous cells and conidia. Scale bars: 100 μm (b); 20 μm (d – f).