Geographic and temporal distributions of four genotypes found in Erysiphe gracilis var. gracilis,a powdery mildew of evergreen oaks (Erysiphales)

A survey of 402 samples of Erysiphe gracilis var. gracilis on evergreen oaks collected from a wide area of western Japan showed that they were divided into four distinct genotypes each forming a separate clade with high bootstrap support, which were referred to as E. hiratae (genotype I), E. uncinuloides (genotype II), E. gracilis s. str. (genotype III), and E. pseudogracilis (genotype IV) in a separate taxonomic treatment. However, there are no clear differences in geographic distributions among these four genotypes. Quercus myrsinifolia was only infected by genotype II and Q. salicina only by genotype IV, whereas Q. glauca was infected by all four. These results strongly suggest an association between host species and speciation of these genotypes. A further 312 samples of Q. glauca with E. gracilis s. lat. colonies were collected from four locations in the Mie University campus to investigate frequency of genotypes I and II every month from May 2015 to January 2016. No temporal isolation was found in genotype frequencies. These genotypes frequently co-existed on a single leaf surface, especially at the locations disturbed by human activities. Two oak powdery mildews, E. gracilis s. lat. and Cystotheca wrightii, produced conidia only one month a year and their life cycle differed from most other powdery mildew species. This suggests that these oak mildews developed their unique life cycles to synchronize with the life cycle of evergreen oaks.     

First record of Erysiphe quercicola (Ascomycota: Erysiphales) on species of Quercus subgenus Cyclobalanopsis (evergreen oaks,Fagaceae)

During the DNA sequence analyses of specimens on Quercus subgenus Cyclobalanopsis deposited as Erysiphe gracilis or Cystotheca wrightii, some specimens exhibited DNA sequences that are different from the sequences of the two species. Based on BLAST search and morphological observations, the true causal agent was identified as E. quercicola. This is the first record of E. quercicola on species of subgenus Cyclobalanopsis. Previous studies revealed that E. quercicola is plurivorous infecting a wide range of tropical fruit trees and woody plants. Further studies are needed to address the question as to why only E. quercicola infect species of subgenus Cyclobalanopsis.     

Phylogeny and evolution of the powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales,Ascomycota) inferred from nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences

Powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphales, Ascomycota) are obligate biotrophs that infect a wide range of angiosperms. Phylogenetic analyses based on the nucleotide sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA revealed that the powdery mildew fungi are divided into five major lineages. The respective lineage was well defined by the morphology of conidial stage, but not of ascomata. In this fungal group, tree-parasitic taxa are generally ancestral, and multiple events of host expansion from trees to herbs have occurred within the respective lineage. Accompanying the host expansion to herbs, simplification of appendage morphology has occurred multiple times. The simple, mycelioid appendages are thus a result of convergence. The host expansion route was investigated in detail in the tribe Cystotheceae. Two sections of the genus Sphaerotheca were derived from the genus Podosphaera separately. The section Magnicellulatae was derived from a Podosphaera species parasitic to Prunus (Rosaceae), acquired parasitism to the Scrophulariaceae, and then expanded host range into the Asteraceae. After genetic radiation on the Asteraceae, they further expanded their host ranges into other plant families. According to the molecular clock (1.26%/100 million years, myr) reported by Berbee and Taylor, splitting of the Erysiphales and the Myxotrichaceae and first divergence within the Erysiphales was calculated to have occurred 100 and 76myr ago, respectively.     

Linkage analysis of er-1, a recessive Pisum sativum gene for resistance to powdery mildew fungus (Erysiphe pisi D.C.)

Linkage analysis was used to determine the genetic map location of er-1, a recessive gene conditioning resistance to powdery mildew, on the Pisum sativum genome. Genetic linkage was demonstrated between er-1 and linkage group 6 markers after analyzing the progeny of two crosses, an F₂ population and a set of recombinant inbred lines. The classes of genetic markers surrounding er-1 include RFLP, RAPD and allozyme markers as well as the morphological marker Gty. A RAPD marker tightly linked to er-1 was identified by bulked segregant analysis. After DNA sequence characterization, specific PCR primers were designed to convert this RAPD marker into a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR).     

A checklist of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in northern Shaanxi Province,China, with one new species of genus Proformica Ruzsky, 1902

A preliminary checklist of the ants of northern Shaanxi is presented based on an evaluation from June 2018 to September 2020. Seven species are reported from Shaanxi for the first time: Formica approximans Wheeler, 1933; Formica clara Forel, 1886; Messor aralocaspius (Ruzsky, 1902); Plagiolepis pygmaea (Latreille, 1798); Tapinoma rectinotum Wheeler, 1927; Tetramorium chefketi Forel, 1911; Tetramorium tsushimae Emery, 1925 and Temnothorax ruginosus Zhou, Huang, Yu & Liu, 2010. A new species of genus Proformica Ruzsky, 1902, Proformica muusensis sp. nov., is described based on the morphology and molecular method. In total, three subfamilies with 34 valid ant species in 15 genera are reported in our checklist.     

云南凤仙花属一新种及一新记录种

报道了在云南西南部发现的凤仙花属一新种——滇红凤仙花（Impatiens quintadecimacopii G.W.Hu&Q.F.Wang）和一新记录种——伸展凤仙花（I.porrecta Wall.ex Hook.f.&Thomson）。这两个种在形态上很相似,但在花色、侧萼片形状、旗瓣形状和蒴果颜色上明显有别。根据形态特征,这两个种应属于凤仙花亚属（I. subg.Impatiens）单花组（I. sect.Uniflora）。结合核糖体DNA内转录间隔区序列（ITS）与叶绿体atpB-rbcL间隔区序列开展系统发育分析,结果进一步确认了这两个种关系紧密,以及它们在单花组内的系统位置。     

Taxonomic study of the subtribe Pemphredonina Dahlbom, 1835 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) with a new species and six new records from China

In this revision of the subtribe Pemphredonina (Crabronidae: Pemphredoninae: Pemphredonini) from China, we reported several species present in respected subtribe, out of which one species is new to science Passaloecus frontirugatus Bashir and Ma, sp. nov., and six species are recorded for the first time from China, including Polemistus palawanensis Tsuneki, Diodontus insidiosus Spooner, Diodontus handlirschi Kohl, Diodontus tiemudzhin Tsuneki, Diodontus spinicerus Kazenas, and Diodontus kuroo Tsuneki. A key to genera and the species of Diodontus and Passaloecus from China is also provided. Distributional records from China of each genus are also given.     

Monophyletic origin of Caryophyllia (Scleractinia,Caryophylliidae), with descriptions of six new species

The genus Caryophyllia Lamarck, 1816 is the most diverse genus within the azooxanthellate Scleractinia comprising 66 Recent species and a purported 195 nominal fossil species. Examination of part of the deep-sea scleractinian collection made by the Paris Museum off New Caledonia and part of the material collected by CSIRO off Australian waters revealed the occurrence of 23 species of Caryophyllia, of which six are new to science. All new records, including the new species, are described, and synonyms, distribution, type locality, type material and illustration are provided for each species. An identification key to all Recent species of Caryophyllia is presented. In addition, the validity of the genus Caryophyllia was investigated by phylogenetic analyses of a dataset consisting of partial mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences from 12 species assigned to this genus together with seven species representing some of the most morphologically similar caryophylliid genera, and 14 non-caryophyllid species representing 14 scleractinian families. Irrespective of the method of analysis employed, all of the Caryophyllia species formed a well-supported clade together with Dasmosmilia lymani and Crispatotrochus rugosus. Although based on a subset of the Recent Caryophyllia species, these results are consistent with Caryophyllia being a valid genus, but call for a reexamination of Dasmosmilia and Crispatotrochus.     

Phyllactinia chubutiana: a new species of Erysiphales from Patagonia (Argentina)

Phyllactinia chubutiana, a parasite on leaves of Lycium chilense (Solanaceae) collected in the arid Patagonian steppe, is proposed as a new species. The new combination Ovulariopsis insolita is introduced for its anamorph previously described as Oidium insolitum.     

Grapevine powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator): a fascinating system for the study of the biology, ecology and epidemiology of an obligate biotroph

Few plant pathogens have had a more profound effect on the evolution of disease management than Erysiphe necator, which causes grapevine powdery mildew. When the pathogen first spread from North America to England in 1845, and onwards to France in 1847, 'germ theory' was neither understood among the general populace nor even generally accepted within the scientific community. Louis Pasteur had only recently reported the microbial nature of fermentation, and it would be another 30 years before Robert Koch would publish his proofs of the microbial nature of certain animal diseases. However, within 6 years after the arrival of the pathogen, nearly 6 million grape growers in France were routinely applying sulphur to suppress powdery mildew on nearly 2.5 million hectares of vineyards (Campbell, 2006). The pathogen has remained a focus for disease management efforts ever since. Because of the worldwide importance of the crop and its susceptibility to the disease, and because conventional management with modern, organic fungicides has been compromised on several occasions since 1980 by the evolution of fungicide resistance, there has also been a renewed effort worldwide to explore the pathogen's biology and ecology, its genetics and molecular interactions with host plants, and to refine current and suggest new management strategies. These latter aspects are the subject of our review. Taxonomy: The most widely accepted classification follows. Family Erysiphaceae, Erysiphe necator Schw. [syn. Uncinula necator (Schw.) Burr., E. tuckeri Berk., U. americana Howe and U. spiralis Berk. & Curt; anamorph Oidium tuckeri Berk.]. Erysiphe necator var. ampelopsidis was found on Parthenocissus spp. in North America according to Braun (1987), although later studies revealed isolates whose host range spanned genera, making the application of this taxon somewhat imprecise (Gadoury and Pearson, 1991). The classification of the genera before 1980 was based on features of the mature ascocarp: (i) numbers of asci; and (ii) morphology of the appendages, in particular the appendage tips. The foregoing has been supplanted by phylogeny inferred from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal DNA sequences (Saenz and Taylor, 1999), which correlates with conidial ontogeny and morphology (Braun et al., 2002). Host range: The pathogen is obligately parasitic on genera within the Vitaceae, including Vitis, Cissus, Parthenocissus and Ampelopsis (Pearson and Gadoury, 1992). The most economically important host is grapevine (Vitis), particularly the European grape, V. vinifera, which is highly susceptible to powdery mildew. Disease symptoms and signs: In the strictest sense, macroscopically visible mildew colonies are signs of the pathogen rather than symptoms resulting from its infection, but, for convenience, we describe the symptoms and signs together as the collective appearance of colonized host tissues. All green tissues of the host may be infected. Ascospore colonies are most commonly found on the lower surface of the first-formed leaves near the bark of the vine, and may be accompanied by a similarly shaped chlorotic spot on the upper surface. Young colonies appear whitish and those that have not yet sporulated show a metallic sheen. They are roughly circular, ranging in size from a few millimetres to a centimetre or more in diameter, and can occur singly or in groups that coalesce to cover much of the leaf. Senescent colonies are greyish, and may bear cleistothecia in various stages of development. Dead epidermal cells often subtend the colonized area, as natural mortality in the mildew colony, the use of fungicides, mycoparasites or resistance responses in the leaf result in the deaths of segments of the mildew colony and infected epidermal cells. Severely affected leaves usually senesce, develop necrotic blotches and fall prematurely. Infection of stems initially produces symptoms similar to those on leaves, but colonies on shoots are eventually killed as periderm forms, producing a dark, web-like scar on the cane (Gadoury et al., 2011). Inflorescences and berries are most susceptible when young, and can become completely coated with whitish mildew. The growth of the berry epidermal tissue stops when severely infected, which may result in splitting as young fruit expand. Berries in a transitional stage between susceptible and resistant (generally between 3 and 4 weeks after anthesis) develop diffuse, nonsporulating mildew colonies only visible under magnification. Diffuse colonies die as berries continue to mature, leaving behind a network of necrotic epidermal cells (Gadoury et al., 2007). Survival over winter as mycelium in buds results in a distinctive foliar symptom. Shoots arising from these buds may be heavily coated with fungal growth, stark white in colour and stand out like white flags in the vine, resulting in the term 'flag shoots'. More commonly, colonization of a flag shoot is less extensive, and infection of a single leaf, or of leaves on one side of the shoot only, is observed (Gadoury et al., 2011).     

Two new species of Yushania (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from South China,with a taxonomic revision of related species

Two new species of Yushania (Poaceae, Bambusoideae, Arundinarieae) are described and illustrated from Hunan, China. Yushania longshanensis D.Z. Li & X.Y. Ye is distinguished from related species (Y. confusa, Y. angustifolia and Y. pachyclada) by having a thinner culm (0.2–0.3 cm in diameter), glabrous sheath scar, no oral setae, a large glabrous leaf blade (10–20 × 0.9–1.3 cm) and 3–4 pairs of secondary veins. Yushania stoloniforma D.Z. Li & X.Y. Ye has a distinctive scrambling habit, which differs from its putative close allies. Both of these two new species have a solitary branch at the basal nodes and can be assigned to Yushania sect. Yushania based on morphological features. Additionally, we treated Yushania gigantea T.P. Yi & L. Yang as a new synonym of Y. elevata T.P. Yi and renamed Y. microphylla T.P. Yi & L. Yang as Y. weiningensis D.Z. Li & X.Y. Ye.     

Morphological and molecular evidence for a new species of Perenniporia (Basidiomycota) from Tibet, southwestern China

A new polypore, Perenniporia tibetica, collected in Xizang (Tibet), southwestern China, is described and illustrated on the basis of morphological and molecular characters. Perenniporia tibetica is characterized by an annual growth habit, resupinate basidiocarps with a creambuff to pinkish-buff pore surface and white to cream-colored rhizomorphs, a dimitic hyphal system with slightly dextrinoid and distinctly cyanophilous skeletal hyphae, and basidiospores that are ellipsoid, truncate or not, strongly dextrinoid, and cyanophilous, 6.7–8.7 × 5.3–6.8 μm. Its preliminary phylogenetic relationships are inferred based on sequence data from the ribosomal ITS and LSU regions, both suggesting that P. tibetica forms a distinct lineage in the genus Perenniporia.     

A cladistic re-assessment of the Polycystis species complex (Polycystididae,Eukalyptorhynchia)

The taxonomy of the genus Polycystis Kölliker, 1845 sensu Schockaert &; Karling, 1975 is discussed. Character analysis reveals the monophyletic state of the three species groups these authors defined within it. As no synapomorphies for the three groups can be found, the genus is split in three genera: Polycystis Kölliker, 1845, Macrorhynchus Graff, 1882 and Paulodora Marcus, 1948. The systematic position of Macrorhynchus yaganus (Marcus, 1954) Evdonin, 1977 is also discussed, resulting in the erection of the new genus Marcusia gen. n.     

Two new species of the genus Endelus Deyrolle, 1864 from China (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

The genus Endelus Deyrolle, 1864 belongs to the subfamily Agrilinae, tribe Aphanisticini. Two new species, E. (E.) violaceithorax sp. n. from Hainan Island and E. (E.) wangi sp. n. from Guangxi and Yunnan, are herein described and illustrated. A key to separate species of the subgenus Endelus Deyrolle, 1864 from China is provided.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CF144204-86FB-401D-AF75-B740CCD020DC.     

The genus Cryptophagus Herbst, 1792 (Coleoptera: Cryptophagidae) in Japan with description of a new species

The 17 species of the genus Cryptophagus Herbst known from Japan are analysed and revised. The opinions of different authors about the value of the characteristics of the external anatomy are contrasted, and an identification key and figures of the studied species are presented. Cryptophagus jaloszynskii sp. nov is described. Following a detailed study of the type material in different entomological collections, the status of taxa is revised and 3 new synonyms are proposed: Cryptophagus deceptor Grouvelle, 1919 and Cryptophagus longipennis Grouvelle, 1919 are syn. nov. for Cryptophagus dilutus Reitter, 1874 and Cryptophagus longiventris Grouvelle, 1919 syn. nov. for Cryptophagus latangulus Reitter, 1889. Cryptophagus elegans Grouvelle, 1919 resurrected from synonymy with Cryptophagus decoratus Reitter, 1874. A neotype is designated for Cryptophagus elegans Grouvelle, 1918; a lectotype and paralectotype is designated for 7 taxa: Cryptophagus decoratus Reitter, 1874; Cryptophagus deceptor Grouvelle, 1919; Cryptophagus grouvellei Bruce, 1938; Cryptophagus latangulus Reitter, 1889; Cryptophagus lewisi Reitter, 1874; Cryptophagus longior Grouvelle, 1919 and Cryptophagus longiventris Grouvelle, 1919. Cryptophagus zonatus Lyubarsky, 1995 previously known only from China is reported here for the first time from Japan. A key to all the species occurring in Japan is presented.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7FF52749-590D-46F6-9794-1E2301906ECB     

Caecothrombium deharvengi sp. nov. (Acari: Actinotrichida: Eutrombidiidae) from Vietnam, with a proposal of Caecothrombiinae subfam. nov.

Caecothrombium deharvengi sp. nov. from a cave in Vietnam is described based on adults. A new subfamily Caecothrombiinae is created in order to accommodate eyeless mites of the genus Caecothrombium André, 1945 and the genus Bruyantella Southcott, 1991 (newly synonymized with the latter). A revised diagnosis of Caecothrombium is given and a key to Caecothrombiinae is provided. Larvae and deutonymphs of the newly described species remain unknown.