Rivalry between Stink Bug Females in a Vibrational Communication Network

In the field, male pheromone attracts stink bugs to meet on the same plant and triggers females to call a male by the emission of the calling song. As first among Pentatomidae we describe female rivalry in Chinavia impicticornis, C. ubica and Euschistus heros. Rivalry starts in C. impicticornis by synchronized exchange of the first type of the female calling song pulse trains and proceeds by one of them either to change pulse trains from the first to the second type or to produce readily repeated single pulses. Both reactions either inhibit calling of the rival female or trigger her to respond by alternation with the second type of the calling song pulse trains. Female rivalry in C. ubica differs by the emission of the rival song that replaces alternation with the second type of the calling song typical for C. impicticornis. E. heros females synchronize pulses of the calling song duets and induce emission of the female rival song by one of them that partly inhibits singing of the other. These competitive interactions in Chinavia species reduce the proportion of couples when compared with single couples on a plant. Contrary to both Chinavia species, E. heros female rivalry does not inhibit male response, male signals overlap female emissions and create complex vibrations with modified amplitude modulation pattern caused by interference.     

Introgression from non-native species unveils a hidden threat to the migratory Neotropical fish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prochilodus hartii</Emphasis>

Invasive species are one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, due to competition, predation, pathogen spread, and hybridization. The latter may remain undetected and impair the survival of species, due to genetic admixture and hybrid swarming (i.e., interbreeding between hybrid individuals and backcrossing with parental species). The impact of invasive species remains poorly studied in the Neotropical ichthyofauna, particularly when considering the potential for hybridization between native and introduced species. Due to fisheries importance and its commercial value, species of the Prochilodus genus have been introduced to other catchments in Brazil. Here, we evaluate the introduction of non-native Prochilodus species and the potential effect of hybridization with the native migratory fish P. hartii. To evaluate possible introgression of Prochilodus spp. to P. hartii in the Jequitinhonha river basin (JRB), we employed a morphogenetic approach, analysing 219 specimens sampled from a broad extent of the river basin. Morphological analyses using meristic characters were incongruent with molecular identification by DNA barcoding (COI) in 22.83% of the analysed specimens. Haplotypes from three non-native species (P. argenteus, P. costatus, and P. lineatus) were recovered from specimens morphologically identified as P. hartii. Hybridization between P. hartii and introduced species was confirmed using co-dominant nuclear microsatellite markers. We observed a pronounced introgression pattern in this Neotropical basin, and paradoxically, despite being one of the most abundant migratory species native to the JRB, due to ongoing levels of introgression, P. hartii’s genetic integrity and conservation might be affected.     

Antipredator Behavioral Traits of some <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agriotes</Emphasis> Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and their Potential Implications for Species Identification

Many insects show a typical antipredator behavior. The two simplest tactics are immobilization and flight. The antipredator behavior of wireworms, the soil-dwelling polyphagous larvae of click beetles, has not yet been investigated. Birds are known to attack wireworms. Our experimental method (picking up and dropping wireworms) mimics the first attack of a predator, such as a bird. In Europe, some Agriotes species are of particular importance as crop pests. As these species differ considerably, in ecology, damage threshold, and pathogen resistance, knowing more about the species specific biology and behavior will support the establishment of successful control measures. In an extensive microcosm study, we observed the antipredator behavior of wireworms belonging to four different Agriotes species (A. lineatus, A. obscurus, A. sordidus, and A. ustulatus) before and during digging into the soil after a startle-stimulus. We recorded wireworm immobility frequency and duration, and locomotor activity at three temperatures. We also analyzed genetic and morphologic attributes of A. lineatus larvae from two different origins. Following behavior types were found reflecting different escape tactics: (a) distinct tonic immobility (A. lineatus), (b) brief/inconsistent tonic immobility (A. obscurus, A. sordidus), and (c) immediate fleeing/burying (A. ustulatus). Additionally, we found small but significant differences in morphology, behavior, and genetics (PCR results) between A. lineatus larvae originating from the Netherlands and those originating from Germany. The biological information we gathered about each species will further increase the understanding of these insects and improve interpretation of future experimental data. In addition, the described behavioral differences between Agriotes obscurus and A. lineatus wireworms may represent a useful additional criterion in morphological species identification.     

Brachiopods of the suborder Delthyridina Ivanova (order Spiriferida) from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Russia

New brachiopods of the suborder Delthyridina Ivanova (order Spiriferida) from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Russia, Ivanothyris costatus sp. nov. (subfamily Delthyridinae), Eoreticularia lata sp. nov., Yania gen. nov. with the type species Y. tumida sp. nov. (subfamily Eoreticulariinae), Reticulariopsis equitans Modzalevskaya, and R. (?) borealis sp. nov. (subfamily Reticulariopsinae) are described.     

New Haplotypes of the Mitochondrial Gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">CytB</Emphasis> in the Nesting Population of the Siberian Black Kite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Milvus migrans lineatus</Emphasis> Gray, 1831 in the Territory of the Republic of Tyva

We analyzed a fragment of mitochondrial CytB locus obtained from young and adult black kites Milvus migrans lineatus from 19 nests in the Republic of Tyva, Russia. Three previously known (CytB-6, CytB-14, CytB-19) and three new haplotypes identified as CytB-6.1, CytB-6.2, and CytB-19.1 were detected. We described a set of substitutions specific to M. migrans lineatus but not to M. migrans migrans, the European subspecies of black kite.     

Contribution to the study of acoustic communication in two Belgian river bullheads (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cottus rhenanus and C. perifretum</Emphasis>) with further insight into the sound-producing mechanism

Background

The freshwater sculpins (genus Cottus) are small, bottom-living fishes widely distributed in North America and Europe. The taxonomy of European species has remained unresolved for a long time due to the overlap of morphological characters. Sound production has already been documented in some cottid representatives, with sounds being involved in courtship and agonistic interactions. Although the movements associated with sound production have been observed, the underlying mechanism remains incomplete. Here, we focus on two closely related species from Belgium: C. rhenanus and C. perifretum. This study aims 1) to record and to compare acoustic communication in both species, 2) to give further insight into the sound-producing mechanism and 3) to look for new morphological traits allowing species differentiation.

Results

Both Cottus species produce multiple-pulsed agonistic sounds using a similar acoustic pattern: the first interpulse duration is always longer, making the first pulse unit distinct from the others. Recording sound production and hearing abilities showed a clear relationship between the sound spectra and auditory thresholds in both species: the peak frequencies of calls are around 150 Hz, which corresponds to their best hearing sensitivity. However, it appears that these fishes could not hear acoustic signals produced by conspecifics in their noisy habitat considering their hearing threshold expressed as sound pressure (~ 125 dB re 1 μPa). High-speed video recordings highlighted that each sound is produced during a complete back and forth movement of the pectoral girdle.

Conclusions

Both Cottus species use an acoustic pattern that remained conserved during species diversification. Surprisingly, calls do not seem to have a communicative function. On the other hand, fish could detect substrate vibrations resulting from movements carried out during sound production. Similarities in temporal and spectral characteristics also suggest that both species share a common sound-producing mechanism, likely based on pectoral girdle vibrations. From a morphological point of view, only the shape of the spinelike scales covering the body allows species differentiation.

     

Comparing Contact Calling Between Black Tufted-Ear Marmosets (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Callithrix penicillata</Emphasis>) in a Noisy Urban Environment and in a Quiet Forest

All habitats have some level of noise but anthropogenic sounds such as those produced by traffic are structurally different from natural sounds, and could cause organisms living in noisy urban areas to modify their vocal communication. We compared temporal and spectral parameters of contact calls in black tufted-ear marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) living in a noisy and a quiet area. From February 2009 to March 2012 we recorded spontaneously produced phee vocalizations by marmosets in two areas in Minas Gerais, Brazil: a noisy urban park (N = 581) in Belo Horizonte, and a quiet natural forest, on Cauaia farm in Matozinhos city (N = 560). We measured the duration, frequencies, and rate of phee vocalizations. We found that marmosets’ phee vocalizations were significantly longer in the noisy area than in the quiet area. The low, high, and dominant frequencies were significantly lower in the noisy area than in the quiet area, and contact calling was less frequent in the noisy area than in the quiet area. We suggest that the differences between marmoset contact calls from noisy and quiet areas are influenced by anthropogenic noise.     

Singing above the chorus: cooperative Princess cichlid fish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Neolamprologus pulcher</Emphasis>) has high pitch

Teleost fishes not only communicate with well-known visual cues, but also olfactory and acoustic signals. Communicating with sound has advantages, as acoustic signals propagate fast, omnidirectionally, around obstacles and over long distances. Heterogeneous environments might favour multimodal communication, especially in socially complex species, as the combination of modalities’ strengths helps overcome their individual limitations. Fishes of the ecologically and morphologically diverse family Cichlidae are known to be vocal. Here we investigated sound production in the socially complex Princess cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher from Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. We show that wild and captive N. pulcher produce only short-duration, broadband high-frequency sounds (mean: 12 kHz), when stimulated by mirror images. The evolutionary reasons for this “low frequency silencing” are still unclear. In laboratory experiments, N. pulcher produced distinct two-pulsed calls mostly, but not exclusively, associated with agonistic displays. Princess cichlids produce these high-frequency sounds both in combination with and independent from visual displays, suggesting that sounds are not a by-product of behavioural displays. Further studies on the hearing abilities of N. pulcher are needed to clarify whether the high-frequency sounds are used in intra- or inter-specific communication.     

B-chromosome frequency stability in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prochilodus lineatus</Emphasis> (Characiformes,Prochilodontidae)

The genus Prochilodus includes individuals ranging in size from medium to large, being highly relevant for commercial and subsistence fishing. Prochilodus species have a diploid number of 2n = 54 chromosomes and up to seven supernumerary (B) microchromosomes. Previous research has shown that B frequency increased drastically in the Mogi-Guaçu river population of Prochilodus lineatus in the early 1980s, whereas it remained about constant in the 1990s. Here we analyses B frequency in this population during the 2003–2007 period and have found that frequency has not changed significantly since 1987, and that these B chromosomes do not show the intra-individual variation in number that characterized them in the 1980s. This indicates that these B chromosomes have been neutralized, after their invasion, through their mitotic stabilization.     

Ectomycorrhizal communities of ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine in the south-central Oregon pumice zone

Forest ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest of the USA are changing as a result of climate change. Specifically, rise of global temperatures, decline of winter precipitation, earlier loss of snowpack, and increased summer drought are altering the range of Pinus contorta. Simultaneously, flux in environmental conditions within the historic P. contorta range may facilitate the encroachment of P. ponderosa into P. contorta territory. Furthermore, successful pine species migration may be constrained by the distribution or co-migration of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF). Knowledge of the linkages among soil fungal diversity, community structure, and environmental factors is critical to understanding the organization and stability of pine ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to establish a foundational knowledge of the EMF communities of P. ponderosa and P. contorta in the Deschutes National Forest, OR, USA, and to examine soil characteristics associated with community composition. We examined EMF root tips of P. ponderosa and P. contorta in soil cores and conducted soil chemistry analysis for P. ponderosa cores. Results indicate that Cenococcum geophilum, Rhizopogon salebrosus, and Inocybe flocculosa were dominant in both P. contorta and P. ponderosa soil cores. Rhizopogon spp. were ubiquitous in P. ponderosa cores. There was no significant difference in the species composition of EMF communities of P. ponderosa and P. contorta. Ordination analysis of P. ponderosa soils suggested that soil pH, plant-available phosphorus (Bray), total phosphorus (P), carbon (C), mineralizable nitrogen (N), ammonium (NH₄), and nitrate (NO₃) are driving EMF community composition in P. ponderosa stands. We found a significant linear relationship between EMF species richness and mineralizable N. In conclusion, P. ponderosa and P. contorta, within the Deschutes National Forest, share the same dominant EMF species, which implies that P. ponderosa may be able to successfully establish within the historic P. contorta range and dominant EMF assemblages may be conserved.     

Fish assemblage structure in an estuary of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot (southern Brazil)

We described the fish assemblage in the estuary of the Guaraguaçu River (one of the largest tributaries of the Paranaguá Bay Estuary, located within Brazil’s Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve) from June 2005 to May 2006, and assessed the seasonal and spatial effects of abiotic environmental attributes on the fish assemblage structure. Despite some oscillations in salinity, the upper and lower estuaries had year-round persistent oligohaline and polyhaline conditions, respectively. Despite high species richness (55 species), the Guaraguaçu River Estuary fish community contains a few dominant taxa; 11% of the richness accounts for >60% of its density and biomass. The most abundant species (in terms of both biomass and density) was Atherinella brasiliensis. Species whose densities were most strongly associated with the upper estuary were Centropomus parallelus, Ctenogobius schufeldti, Eucinostomus melanopterus, Platanichthys platana, Trinectes paulistanus, and Eugerres brasilianus. Those whose densities were most strongly associated with the lower estuary were A. brasiliensis, Sphoeroides greeleyi, Eucinostomus argenteus, Sphoeroides testudineus, Diapterus rhombeus, and Harengula clupeola. Throughout the year, canonical correspondence analysis identified: (1) the pattern of horizontal stratification of salinity along the river as being the most important variable for explaining most of the fish fauna structure; and (2) a strong relationship between the fish fauna and the salinity gradient along the estuary. Analysis of similarity further confirmed that each estuarine zone supports a year-round persistent and relatively homogeneous fish species assemblage. Total mean density and biomass remained constant over time in each estuarine habitat, but density shifted in the most abundant species, which appears related to recruitment patterns. Such species and abundance persistence likely occurs because seasonal rainfall-induced changes in river discharge are not sufficient to significantly shift runoff and salinity and thus fish assemblage structure (species composition, density and biomass) along the estuary. Such a lack of seasonal fish fauna movement as a response to changes in river flow contrasts with other estuarine systems around the world.     

Comparative study on intestinal bacterial communities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Boleophthalmus pectinirostris</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus</Emphasis> with different sexes and feeding strategies

Intertidal mudflats are unique, highly productive ecosystems. Boleophthalmus pectinirostris and Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus are common fish species that are distributed in the intertidal mudflats of the Yangtze Estuary in China. They perform important ecological functions and have different feeding strategies. Herein, we studied the intestinal microbial diversity and structure of wild B. pectinirostris and P. magnuspinnatus with different sexes and feeding strategies during their breeding season. Gut samples of B. pectinirostris and P. magnuspinnatus individuals (female:male ratio?=?1:1) were collected and subjected to high-throughput DNA sequencing. The results showed Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum in all the four sample groups: 73.5% in the males and 52.6% in the females of B. pectinirostris and 40.2% in the males and 40.9% in the females of P. magnuspinnatus. Aeromonas, Shewanella, Halomonas, and Acinetobacter of the phylum Proteobacteria were dominant genera in all the sample groups and accounted for 62.13% of the ten dominant genera. The diversity of the intestinal microflora in the omnivorous P. magnuspinnatus was significantly higher (P?<?0.05) than that in the herbivorous B. pectinirostris. Beta diversity, including PCoA and UPGMA of unweighted UniFrac distances, showed that B. pectinirostris samples were clustered together, and P. magnuspinnatus samples were clustered together, implying the effect of the feeding habits on the microbial community structure is more considerable than that of sex.     

Do closely related species share of feeding niche along growth? Diets of three sympatric species of the mojarras (Actinopterygii: Gerreidae) in a tropical bay in southeastern Brazil

Understanding the trophic relationships among closely related species is a way to obtain subsidies for their management and conservation of their habitats. The diets of three co-occurring abundant fish species of the Gerreidae family (Diapterus rhombeus, Eucinostomus argenteus and Eucinostomus gula) in a tropical bay were described. The tested hypothesis was that the three sympatric species present shifts in their use of resource during the ontogenetic development to facilitate their coexistence. Size groups for each species were categorized according to breakpoints in the morphological structures determined by piecewise regression models. Significant overlapping in diets was found for all size classes of D. rhombeus but not for size classes of the Eucinostomus genus. Furthermore, different size classes of D. rhombeus did not overlap diet with size classes of the Eucinostomus genus. The specialization in feeding niches corresponding to growth seems to bring benefits for this group of fish rather than a generalist feeding strategy. The hypothesis of the available resources partitioning was accepted only between the two genera (Diapterus and Eucinostomus), and among size classes of the Eucinostomus genus that seemed to follow the principle of limiting similarity. However, different size classes of D. rhombeus exhibited strong evidence of an intraspecific overlapping of the trophic niche. It seems that different processes related to use of the trophic niche dimension are structuring these closely related fish species.     

First Evidence of Vibrational Communication in Homotomidae (Psylloidea) and Comparison of Substrate-Borne Signals of Two Allied Species of the Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrohomotoma</Emphasis> Kuwayama

Substrate-borne signals are widely used in Hemiptera and are known to be utilized in mate searching and recognition. Within this Order, the superfamily Psylloidea is a diverse taxon which uses this type of signal modality during mating behavior between the two sexes. This study describes and compares the previously unreported vibrational communication of two closely related species of Macrohomotoma (Homotomidae). Both genders of these two species, Macrohomotoma gladiata Kuwayama 1908 and Macrohomotoma robusta Yang 1984, emit vibrational signals and establish duets during mating. The structure of male calling consists of two chirps while the female response is a single chirp. Males may sometimes follow the female response by emitting a single chirp that sounds similar to the female response with respect to the chirp duration and dominant frequency. This behavior is novel among Psylloidea and its potential function is discussed. Specific comparison of signal characteristics has revealed that the two species of Macrohomotoma are clearly distinguishable from each other which opens the possibility of acoustic signals being used for species delineation.     

Sexual dimorphism of sonic apparatus and extreme intersexual variation of sounds in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophidion rochei</Emphasis> (Ophidiidae): first evidence of a tight relationship between morphology and sound characteristics in Ophidiidae

Background

Many Ophidiidae are active in dark environments and display complex sonic apparatus morphologies. However, sound recordings are scarce and little is known about acoustic communication in this family. This paper focuses on Ophidion rochei which is known to display an important sexual dimorphism in swimbladder and anterior skeleton. The aims of this study were to compare the sound producing morphology, and the resulting sounds in juveniles, females and males of O. rochei.

Results

Males, females, and juveniles possessed different morphotypes. Females and juveniles contrasted with males because they possessed dramatic differences in morphology of their sonic muscles, swimbladder, supraoccipital crest, and first vertebrae and associated ribs. Further, they lacked the ‘rocker bone’ typically found in males. Sounds from each morphotype were highly divergent. Males generally produced non harmonic, multiple-pulsed sounds that lasted for several seconds (3.5?±?1.3 s) with a pulse period of ca. 100 ms. Juvenile and female sounds were recorded for the first time in ophidiids. Female sounds were harmonic, had shorter pulse period (±3.7 ms), and never exceeded a few dozen milliseconds (18?±?11 ms). Moreover, unlike male sounds, female sounds did not have alternating long and short pulse periods. Juvenile sounds were weaker but appear to be similar to female sounds.

Conclusions

Although it is not possible to distinguish externally male from female in O. rochei, they show a sonic apparatus and sounds that are dramatically different. This difference is likely due to their nocturnal habits that may have favored the evolution of internal secondary sexual characters that help to distinguish males from females and that could facilitate mate choice by females. Moreover, the comparison of different morphotypes in this study shows that these morphological differences result from a peramorphosis that takes place during the development of the gonads.

     

Taxonomic composition and species diversity of insect assemblages in grass–shrub cover of peat bogs in Belarus

The species composition and diversity of insect assemblages in the grass–shrub cover has been studied. A total of 374 species from 10 orders have been revealed. Coleoptera, Diptera, Heteroptera, and Auchenorryncha prevailed. Each order was dominated by two to eight species. These species are Cixius similis Kirschbaum, 1868; Neophilaenus lineatus (Linnaeus, 1758); Lepyronia coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Auchenorryncha); Lygus pratensis (Linnaeus, 1758); Kleidocerys resedae (Panzer, 1797); Stictopleurus crassicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Heteroptera); Lochmaea suturalis (Thomson, 1866); Cyphon padi (Linnaeus, 1758); Plateumaris discolor (Herbst, 1795) (Coleoptera); etc. The assemblages were characterized by low species diversity and distribution of species abundance. The most similar entomocomplexes were those in biotopes dominated by herbs, on the one hand, and dwarf shrubs, on the other. The regression analysis has shown a significant relation between the species richness and diversity of insects and the species composition of plants and their projective cover. The multivariate analysis with various methods (CCA and PCA) demonstrated the influence of these factors on the spatial distribution of certain species and their preferences to particular habitats.     

Revision of the shield-bug genera <Emphasis Type="Italic">Holcostethus</Emphasis> Fieber and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Peribalus</Emphasis> Mulsant et Rey (Heteroptera,Pentatomidae) of the Palaearctic Region

A complex of the heteropteran genera centering around Peribalus Mulsant et Rey and Holcostethus Fieber is considered. The genus Dryadocoris Kirkaldy reveals no relationship with the above genera and is believed to represent a separate clade of the family Pentatomidae. The genera Peribalus and Holcostethus are revised. The former includes three subgenera: Peribalus s. str. with two species, Asioperibalus subgen. n. (type species Cimex inclusus Dohrn) with six species, and Tianocoris subgen. n. (type species Holcostethus manifestus Kiritshenko) with two species. Holcostethus embraces two subgenera: Holcostethus s. str. and the monotypic Enigmocoris subgen. n. (type species H. fissiceps Horváth). Two new species are described: Peribalus tianshanicus sp. n. from the Tien Shan Mts. and P. przewalskii sp. n. from the northern part of China (Huan He River). P. capitatus Jakovlev and P. vernalis (Wolff) are downgraded to subspecies of P. strictus (F.). P. ovatus Jakovlev is synonymized with P. inclusus (Dohrn). Two new monotypic genera related to the revised complex of genera are established, Paraholcostethus gen. n. (type species Peribalus breviceps Horváth) and Himalayastethus gen. n. (type species H. pilosus sp. n. from Kashmir). A key to, and morphometric characters for all the taxa considered are provided. The key characters, including both male and female genitalia, are illustrated, and distributional maps are given.     

Morphological and molecular taxonomy of novel species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pleurotheciaceae</Emphasis> from freshwater habitats in Yunnan,China

The diversity of lignicolous freshwater fungi of the Greater Mekong Subregion are currently being studied. In this paper, 18 fresh collections of Pleurotheciaceae from submerged wood in freshwater are characterized based on morphological characters and analyses of ITS, LSU, SSU and RPB2 sequence data. Six new species of Pleurotheciella (P. aquatica, P. fusiformis, P. guttulata, P. lunata, P. saprophytica, P. submersa), one new Phaeoisaria species (Ph. aquatica) and one new Pleurothecium species (Pl. aquaticum) are introduced based on their distinct morphology and evidence from molecular phylogeny. Pleurotheciella uniseptata, Phaeoisaria clematidis and Pleurothecium pulneyense are also redescribed and phylogenetic relationships assessed herein, these species are the first records for China.     

Taxonomic revisions in the Microstromatales: two new yeast species,two new genera,and validation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Jaminaea</Emphasis> and two <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sympodiomycopsis</Emphasis> species

Environmental sampling yielded two yeast species belonging to Microstromatales (Exobasidiomycetes, Ustilaginomycotina). The first species was collected from a leaf phylloplane infected by the rust fungus Coleosporium plumeriae, and represents a new species in the genus Jaminaea, for which the name Jaminaea rosea sp. nov. is proposed. The second species was isolated from air on 50% glucose media and is most similar to Microstroma phylloplanum. However, our phylogenetic analyses reveal that species currently placed in Microstroma are not monophyletic, and M. phylloplanum, M. juglandis and M. albiziae are not related to the type species of this genus, M. album. Thus, Pseudomicrostroma gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate the following species: P. glucosiphilum sp. nov., P. phylloplanum comb. nov. and P. juglandis comb. nov. We also propose Parajaminaea gen. nov. to accommodate P. albizii comb. nov. and P. phylloscopi sp. nov. based on phylogenetic analyses that show these are not congeneric with Jaminaea or Microstroma. In addition, we validate the genus Jaminaea, its respective species and two species of Sympodiomycopsis and provide a new combination, Microstroma bacarum comb. nov., for the anamorphic yeast Rhodotorula bacarum. Our results illustrate non-monophyly of Quambalariaceae and Microstromataceae as currently circumscribed. Taxonomy of Microstroma and the Microstromataceae is reviewed and discussed. Finally, analyses of all available small subunit rDNA sequences for Jaminaea species show that J. angkorensis is the only known species that possess a group I intron in this locus, once considered a potential feature indicating the basal placement of this genus in Microstromatales.