Amylostereum laevigatum associated with a horntail,Urocerus antennatus

A fungus associated with a horntail,Urocerus antennatus, in Ibaraki, Kochi, and Nagasaki Prefectures, was studied. Cultures isolated from the mycangia of 12 adult females ofU. antennatus showed the same cultural characteristics as those ofAmylostereum laevigatum. One mycangial isolate produced basidiocarps on the stem segments ofCryptomeria japonica by artificial inoculation and was identified asA. laevigatum. These results indicate that onlyA. laevigatum is carried in the mycangia ofU. antennatus in Ibaraki, Kochi, and Nagasaki Prefectures.     

Amylostereum laevigatum associated with the Japanese horntail,Urocerus japonicus

The fungus associated with the Japanese horntail,Urocerus japonicus, in Kochi, Kagawa and Ehime Prefectures was studied. Cultures isolated from the mycangia of 113 adult females of the horntail showed the same cultural characteristics. Four of basidiocarps found on felled logs ofCryptomeria japonica were identifieds asAmylostereum laevigatum based on morphological characteristics. This was the first record ofA. laevigatum from Japan. The cultures isolated from the basidiocarps had the same cultural characteristics as those from the mycangia ofU. japonicus. One mycangial isolate produced basidiocarps on artificially inoculated stem segments ofCr. japonica after a 6-mo incubation and was identified asA. laevigatum. One isolate from the basidiocarps ofA. laevigatum and one from the mycangium ofU. japonicus were artificially inoculated into five trees each ofChamaecyparis obtusa andCr. japonica. The wood of all inoculated trees showed discoloration, with no difference in shape and pattern of discoloration between the two isolates. The inoculated fungi were reisolated from the areas of discoloration in the inoculated trees.     

Lecanosticta acicola, causal fungus of brown spot needle blight inPinus thunbergii, new to Japan

A needle blight disease with brown spots was found on ornamental trees ofPinus thunbergii in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. The causal fungus was identified asLecanosticta acicola, known as causal fungus of brown spot needle blight of pines recorded in the Americas, Europe, and China.Pinus thunbergii was heavily infected following inoculation with the fungus in June, but only slightly infected following inoculation in September. The mycelia of the fungus were raised and produced conidial masses on potato-dextrose and Waksman agars. They grew well at 20–25°C within the range of 5 to 35°C.     

Molecular phylogeny of species in the generaAmylostereum andEchinodontium

Analyses of DNA sequences from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the nuclear rDNA and from a portion of a manganese-dependent peroxidase gene were used to assess the species inAmylostereum, including isolates from the mycangia of horntails, decay, and basidiomes. Four species are recognized:A. areolatum, A. chailletii, A. laevigatum, andA. ferreum. An unidentifiedAmylosterum isolate from the mycangium ofXoanon matsumurae had an ITS sequence identical to that ofA. areolatum. Another unidentifiedAmylostereum isolate from the mycangium ofSirex areolatus was nearA. laevigatum, which appears to be the mycangial symbiont for those horntails attacking cedar-like trees. The other horntail isolates, primarily from Pinaceae, proved to be eitherA. areolatum orA. chailletii. The DNA sequences ofEchinodontium tinctorium, E. tsugicola andE. japonicum were similar to those of theAmylostereum species, andAmylostereum species are now recognized as members of the family Echinodontiaceae rather than the family Stereaceae.Echinodontium taxodii was found to be distinct from the Echinodontiacaea andStereum, andE. taxodii is recognized as aLaurilia species.     

First record of the brown lanternshark,Etmopterus unicolor, from the waters around New Zealand, and comparison with the southern lanternshark,E. granulosus

Specimens of the brown lanternshark,Etmopterus unicolor, reported here for the first time from the waters around New Zealand, were caught on bottom longlines. This study compares morphometeric and meristic characters of New Zealand and Japanese specimens ofE. unicolor and New Zealand specimens of the southern lanternshark,E. granulosus. E. unicolor andE. granulosus are clearly distinguishable by the height of the first dorsal fin, number of spiral valves, number of vertebrae, and shape of the dermal denticles and teeth.     

Dynamics of the fungal symbionts in the gallery system and the mycangia of the ambrosia beetle,Xylosandrus mutilatus (Blandford) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in relation to its life history

The dynamics of the fungal symbionts in the gallery system and the mycangia of the ambrosia beetle,Xylosandrus mutilatus, were studied in relation to its life history using both isolation experiments and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the galleries,Ambrosiella sp. was predominant during the larval stages but its relative dominance gradually decreased during the development of the larvae. In contrast, yeasts (mainlyCandida sp.) andPaecilomyces sp. dominated continuously in the galleries after eclosion.Ambrosiella sp. was consistently stored in the mycangia in all adult stages, except in the teneral and overwintering adults when the other fungi were dominant. No fungal spores occurred in the mycangia of the adult beetles reared under aseptic conditions from the pupal stage, while onlyAmbrosiella sp. was stored in those reared from the teneral-adult stage. These results suggest that: (i) Xmutilatus is associated with at least three fungal species, among whichAmbrosiella sp. is the most essential food resource for development of the broods; (ii) immediately after eclosion, new female adults may take at least four associated fungal species, with no or incomplete selection, into their mycangia from the walls of the cradles; and (iii) conditions may well be produced in the mycangia of both matured and dispersing beetles whereby only the spores ofAmbrosiella sp. can proliferate.     

Atkinsiella dubia and its related species

Atkinsiella dubia, isolated from the mantle of abalone (Haliotis sieboldii), is described and illustrated as a new record from Japan. The fungus was also obtained from the gills of swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus). Six other species of the genusAtkinsiella have hitherto been reported from various aquatic animals. The fungus is distinguished from the other six species by the morphology of its mycelia and the process of zoospore production. The most distinctive feature is that zoospores in the first motile stage ofA. dubia encyst in zoosporangia, unlike the other species. We therefore proposeHalocrusticida gen. nov. (Lagenidiales, Haliphthoraceae) for the other six species ofAtkinsiella. A key to species of the genusHalocrusticida is provided.     

Identification of the DNAs of the ectomycorrhizal fungusTricholoma bakamatsutake using specific oligonucleotide probes and PCR primers

Partial nucleotides of the 18S rDNAs ofTricholoma bakamatsutake were sequenced and compared with those of six ectomycorrhizal fungi and a tree. Two probes, Probes 1 and 2, and a pair of primers were designed based on the variable positions in this region. The DNAs ofT. bakamatsutake were isolated from the colonized mycelia in the soil, field-collected fruit-bodies and artifically cultured mycelia. Hybridization with Probe 1 and PCR-amplification with the primers differentiated these DNAs of this fungus from those of eight ectomycorrhizal fungi and two tree species.     

Limited transfer of nitrogen between wood decomposing and ectomycorrhizal mycelia when studied in the field

Transfer of ¹⁵N between interacting mycelia of a wood-decomposing fungus (Hypholoma fasciculare) and an ectomycorrhizal fungus (Tomentellopsis submollis) was studied in a mature beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest. The amount of ¹⁵N transferred from the wood decomposer to the ectomycorrhizal fungus was compared to the amount of ¹⁵N released from the wood-decomposing mycelia into the soil solution as ¹⁵N-NH₄. The study was performed in peat-filled plastic containers placed in forest soil in the field. The wood-decomposing mycelium was growing from an inoculated wood piece and the ectomycorrhizal mycelium from an introduced root from a mature tree. The containers were harvested after 41 weeks when physical contact between the two foraging mycelia was established. At harvest, ¹⁵N content was analyzed in the peat (total N and ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺) and in the mycorrhizal roots. A limited amount of ¹⁵N was transferred to the ectomycorrhizal fungus and this transfer could be explained by ¹⁵NH₄ ⁺ released from the wood-decomposing fungus without involving any antagonistic interactions between the two mycelia. Using our approach, it was possible to study nutritional interactions between basidiomycete mycelia under field conditions and this and earlier studies suggest that the outcomes of such interactions are highly species-specific and depend on environmental conditions such as resource availability.     

Didymella fagi sp. nov. and its anamorphAscochyta fagi, causing the yellow leaf spot disease ofFagus crenata andQuercus mongolica var.grosseserrata in Japan

AnAscochyta fungus was obtained during a survey of leaf spot diseases ofFagus crenata in the mountains of Aomori prefecture in 1995. The pathogenicity of the fungus toF. crenata was confirmed by inoculation. Its teleomorph was first found on artificially infected leaves after the leaves were placed in an incubator at 5°C with a 12-h photoperiod (approximately 500lx, daylight strip lamps) for 4 mo. The fungus was found to be the causal agent of yellow leaf spots ofF. crenata andQuercus mongolica var.grosseserrata in the field. Comparison with similar fungi so far described from Fagaceae indicated that the anamorph isAscochyta fagi and the teleomorph is an undescribed species ofDidymella. The nameDidymella fagi is introduced for the teleomorph. Correlation between the two morphs has been proved by cultural, morphological and pathological studies.     

四川鞍子河保护地水鹿和羚牛栖息地适宜性评价与重叠性分析

水鹿(Rusa unicolor)和羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor)是国家重点保护野生动物,了解和掌握濒危物种的空间分布格局和对栖息地的利用特征是制定相关保护和管理策略的前提和基础。利用红外相机和样线法收集四川鞍子河保护地内水鹿和羚牛的实体、粪便和痕迹等点位信息,在得到水鹿124个、羚牛79个有效点位的基础上,结合15个环境因子,利用最大熵模型对保护地内水鹿和羚牛进行了栖息地适宜评价及其重叠性分析。结果表明:(1)水鹿和羚牛栖息地的适宜性评价结果均达到良好水平,其AUC值分别为0.888和0.813;(2)水鹿适宜和较适宜栖息地主要分布在保护地的中、南部海拔1474—3336 m区域,面积分别为943.23 hm²和3390.15 hm²,分别占保护地总面积的6.25%和22.48%;(3)羚牛适宜和较适宜栖息地主要分布在保护地中、西部海拔1467—3823 m区域,面积分别为1808.37 hm²和8384.35 hm²,分别占保护地总面积的11.99%和55.59%;(4)水鹿和羚牛...     

Development,persistence and regeneration of foraging ectomycorrhizal mycelial systems in soil microcosms

Development of extraradical mycelia of two strains each of Paxillus involutus and Suillus bovinus in ectomycorrhizal association with Pinus sylvestris seedlings was studied in two dimensions in non-sterile soil microcosms. There were significant inter- and intra-specific differences in extraradical mycelial growth and morphology. The mycelial systems of both strains of P. involutus were diffuse and extended more rapidly than those of S. bovinus. Depending on the strain, P. involutus mycelia were either highly plane filled, with high mass fractal dimension (a measure of space filling) or sparse, low mass fractal dimension systems. Older mycelial systems persisted as linear cords interlinking ectomycorrhizal tips. S. bovinus produced either a mycelium with a mixture of mycelial cords and diffuse fans that rapidly filled explorable area, or a predominately corded mycelium of minimal area cover. In the soil microcosms, mass fractal dimension and mycelial cover tended to increase with time, mycelia encountering litter having significantly greater values. Results are discussed in terms of the ecology of these fungi, their foraging activities and functional importance in forest ecosystems.     

Development of Commercially Acceptable Formulations of the Nematophagous FungusVerticillium chlamydosporium

Studies in shaken flasks and a 20-liter bioreactor showed that biomass ofVerticillium chlamydosporiumcould be produced in large quantities in liquid culture. The fungus grew readily in media containing commercially available, low-cost ingredients (e.g., cotton seed meal, soybean meal) and a volumetric productivity of about 0.3 g/h/liter was achieved in the bioreactor. Chlamydospores were not produced in submerged culture, the biomass consisting only of mycelia and conidia. When this biomass was mixed with a carrier (kaolin) and a binder (gum arabic) and the ingredients were granulated and then dried to a moisture content of less than 2%, a biologically active product suitable for application to soil was produced. The fungus grew vigorously from these granules when they were placed on agar and retained its viability when granules were stored in vacuum-sealed bags at 25°C for 12 months. Experiments on tomato in the glasshouse showed that when the formulated product was incorporated into field soil at 10 g granules/liter soil, population densities ofV. chlamydosporiumwere increased to about 10⁴colony-forming units/g soil after 7–14 weeks. Between 37 and 82% of the first generation egg masses produced byMeloidogyne javanicacontained parasitized eggs.     

Biological characteristics ofCryptosporiopsis abietina on Hinoki cypress and its antagonistic effect to other microorganisms

In isolation tests on different parts of sound Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), the coelomyceteCryptosporiopsis abietina was isolated, mostly from immature cone scales and inner bark areas of branches and main stems. In isolation tests using branches or stems of 3-yr-old seedlings to 35-yr-old adult cypresses from various localities,C. abietina was isolated in 28 to 100% of the cypresses tested. It was also confirmed that the fungus rarely infects seeds of the cypress, and can survive in dried seeds for several years, though it is not a seed-borne fungus. No symptoms appeared in inoculation tests with the fungus on 8-yr-old cypress. In inoculation test in a greenhouse, reliable infection without symptoms was obtained on wounded cypress seedlings. These results reveal thatC. abietina is a common endophytic fungus in Hinoki cypress. Confrontation and volatile antagonistic tests in Petri dishes indicated that some isolates ofC. abietina produce antifungal substances in vitro. On these isolates, the reproduction of a mycophagous nematodeBursaphelenchus xylophilus was retarded. The results of inoculation tests suggest that the possibility ofC. abietina as a primary causal agent of the resinous stem canker of Hinoki cypress is low. The role ofC. abietina in the cypress is briefly discussed.     

Stromatinia cryptomeriae sp. nov., the teleomorph ofGloeosporidina cryptomeriae causing twig blight of Japanese cedar

A new species,Stromatinia cryptomeriae, is described based on a specimen collected in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It was found on fallen dead branches and twigs of Japanese cedar,Cryptomeria japonica. The morphology of isolates on potato-dextrose agar (PDA), which were obtained from single ascospores ofS. cryptomeriae, was identical withGloeosporidina cryptomeriae, the causal fungus of Japanese cedar twig blight. In an inoculation test using single ascospore isolates, many minute black spots (sclerotioid bodies; sclerotules) and acervuli ofG. cryptomeriae were formed on the necrotic lesions, which developed into typical symptoms of Japanese cedar twig blight. These results show thatStromatinia cryptomeriae is the teleomorph ofG. cryptomeriae. On PDA, the fungus grew over a range of about 1 to 25°C, with the optimum growth at about 15–20°C.     

Lagenidium myophilum infection in the coonstripe shrimp,Pandalus hypsinotus

A fungal infection occurred in juvenile coonstripe shrimps,Pandalus hypsinotus, cultured at Hokkaido Institute of Mariculture, Hokkaido, Japan. The fungus was identified asLagenidium myophilum, the same fungus that had previously been isolated from the abdominal muscle of adult northern shrimps,Pandalus borealis, and larvae of the coonstripe shrimp. Histopathologically, numerous nonseptate hyphae were observed in the lesions, and melanized hemocytes were present within the blackened areas. The optimum temperature for growth of the present strain was 25–30°C, and the optimum NaCl concentration for growth was 0.5–1.0%. Its biological characteristics were compared with those ofLagenidium myophilum isolated from diseased larval coonstripe shrimp and adult northern shrimp. The fungus was pathogenic toward shrimps of the genusPandalus, which live in deep sea areas. The fungus could infect shrimps at various stages, from larva to adult.     

Fungus fruit body lytic enzyme from a myxomycete,Badhamia utricularis

Chitinase,β-1,3-glucanase, cellulase, xylanase and protease activity were detected in a crude enzyme preparation obtained from a slime mold (Badhamia utricularis) which was grown on autoclaved mycelia ofPholiota nameko in a petri dish. The optimal pH of the enzyme preparation for lytic activity against fruit bodies ofLentinus edodes was 4.0, and those ofβ-1,3-glucanase and cellulase were the same. On the other hand, chitinase and protease showed optimal activity at pH 5.0 and 8.0, respectively. The lytic activity was stable below 40°C but completely inactivated at 70°C, and was most stable at pH 5.0. The studies of the optimal pH, thermal stability, and pH stability, and isoelectric focusing analysis of the enzyme preparation suggest that chitinase,β-1,3-glucanase and cellulase activities may be responsible for lysis of fruit bodies of some mushrooms. The crude enzyme preparation from the slime mold lysed fruit bodies of several mushrooms more efficiently than did commercial lytic enzymes preparations (Driselase and Usukizyme).     

Puccinia kraussiana (Uredinales) onHeterosmilax gaudichaudiana,A new record of rust in Eastern Asia

Puccinia kraussiana, a rust fungus of Africa, was found in Taiwan for the first time in eastern Asia. It was parasiting on leaves ofHeterosmilax gaudichaudiana, on which all four stages were characteristically found. The host species,H. gaudichaudiana, newly added to the host range ofP. kraussiana, constitutes also a new entry to the phanerogamic flora of Taiwan.     

Host-specificity of fiveAnacassis species [Col.: Chrysomelidae] introduced into australia for the biological control ofBaccharis halimifolia [Compositae]

Foliage-feeding beetles of the genusAnacassis [A. phaeopoda Buzzi,A. fuscata (Klug),A. fuscata var.unicolor (Burmeister),A. cribrum (Klug) andA. dubia (Boheman)] were collected fromBaccharis spp. andBaccharidastrum spp. in South America. Specificity studies showed that they were restricted to these 2 host genera. Between 1974 and 1976 these species were introduced into Australia for the control ofBaccharis halimifolia. A. phaeopoda andA. fuscata were first released in 1976. One field colony ofA. fuscata persisted for up to 3 years but no recoveries ofA. phaeopoda were made after the 1st field generation. The other species died out in quarantine and were not released.      

Mycosphaerella chaenomelis sp. nov.: The teleomorph ofCercosporella sp., the causal fungus of frosty mildew inChaenomeles sinensis, and its role as the primary infection source

A leaf spot disease called frosty mildew was observed onChaenomeles sinensis throughout Japan. Small brown spots with white tufts occurred followed by successive defoliation. On the fallen leaves, minute black dots are formed. The causal fungus was regarded as a new species ofMycosphaerella, M. chaenomelis, andCercosporella chaenomelis in anamorph. Pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed only inC. sinensis by inoculation experiments. Colonies of the fungus grew well on potato sucrose agar, and grew at 10–30°C with an optimum temperature of 25°C. The fungus overwintered on the fallen diseased leaves in the form of pseudothecia, and ascospores served as the primary infection source from April to June.