Three new ascomycetous yeasts from insect-associated arboreal habitats

A new species of Pichia and two new species of Candida are described and were determined to be genetically isolated from all other currently recognized ascomycetous yeasts from their sequence divergence in the species-variable D1/D2 domain of large subunit (26S) ribosomal DNA. The three species were primarily isolated from the frass of wood-boring insects living in pine and spruce trees. The new species and their type strains are the following: Pichia ramenticola NRRL YB-1985 (CBS 8699), mating type alpha (NRRL YB-3835, CBS 8700, mating type a), Candida piceae NRRL YB-2107 (CBS 8701), and Candida wyomingensis NRRL YB-2152 (CBS 8703). Pichia ramenticola and C. piceae assimilate methanol as a carbon source; P. ramenticola is the first known heterothallic ascomycetous yeast to utilize this compound.