First Report of Fusarium avenaceum Causing Canker Disease on Kiwi Tree in China

In May 2021, canker symptoms were detected on ‘Xuxiang’ kiwi trees in southwestern Shaanxi (Hanzhong municipality; 107.27° E, 33.23° N) in China. Seven-year-old trees exhibited black necrotic lesions and cracked areas in the trunk (Figure 1). The symptoms were observed in approximately 10% of the trees in 6 orchards (31 ha in total). Application of commercial fungicides did not control the advancement of the pathogen, and infected trees were removed to control the spread. Three samples, approximately 1 cm2 in size, of symptomatic tissue were collected and surface sterilized in 2% NaOCl for 1 min, and washed with sterile ddH2O. Four isolates showing white mycelium with yellow pigmentation were obtained after 4 days of incubation on PDA, containing chloramphenicol (50 µg/mL), at 28 ºC. The pathogen was isolated from all collected samples. ITS, EF1-α, TUB2, RPB1 and RPB2 genes were amplified using ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, T1/T22, RPB1-5F/RPB1-8R and RPB2-5F/RPB2-7cR (strain NJC06), or RPB2-c7F/RPB2-11aR (strains NJC07 and NJC08), primers, respectively. Two isolates shared the same sequences (strain NJC08). Obtained sequences were submitted to GenBank under accession numbers MZ669205 and OL347898-OL347899 (ITS), OL439731-OL439733 (EF1-α), OL439734-OL439736 (TUB2), OL439737-OL439739 (RPB1), and OL439740-OL439742 (RPB2). The sequences shared >99% (ITS; F. avenaceum CBS 128538, MH864972), >99% (EF1-α; F. avenaceum 55-2, MN473124), 100% (TUB2; F. avenaceum SICAUCC 18-0001, MK253102), >98% (RPB1; F. avenaceum NRRL 26911, MG282372), and >98% (RPB2; F. avenaceum SICAUCC 18-0001, MK396098; or F. avenaceum FRC R-09495, CQ915486) homology to multiple F. avenaceum strains. Molecular phylogenetic tree (Figure 2) was constructed using MEGA7 with Fusarium strains found causing rot in various hosts (Wang et al. 2015), and other fungal species, such as Cadophora nalorum, Diaporthe ambigua, D. australafricana, and Neofusicoccum parvum, which were reported to cause cordon dieback on kiwi tree in Chile (Diaz et al. 2021). Microscope observations after cultivation of all isolates on barley-honey-tryptone medium (Song et al. 2020) showed the presence of septate mycelium, fusiform microconidia (8-15 µm in length, containing between 0 and 3 septa; n = 77) and chlamydospores (n = 21), and agree with the morphology of F. avenaceum (Zhao et al. 2020). To confirm pathogenicity, a sterilized spatula was used to make wounds (3 mm diameter, 1 mm depth) on the trunk of 3-months-old ‘Xuxiang’ kiwi trees. Solutions containing 1 × 106 spores/mL (20 µL) of the isolates were injected in the wounds. Sterile ddH2O was used for the control experiment. Inoculated plants were maintained in a growth chamber at 28 °C and 80% relative humidity for 4 days. The pathogen was recovered from the canker lesions, which were similar to those observed in the orchards, and its identity was confirmed by sequence analysis. The pathogen only infected wounded trees, and probably invaded the orchards during the pruning in February 2021. F. avenaceum was reported to cause canker on almond tree (Stack et al. 2020), stem rot on Anthoxanthum aristatum and Polygonatum cyrtonema (Pieczul et al. 2018; Xu et al. 2019), and root rot on carrot, Coptis chinensis and wheat (Le Moullec-Rieu et al. 2020; Mei et al. 2020; Ozer et al. 2020). Recently, F. avenaceum was found causing fruit blotch in kiwi fruit in Anhui (China) (Zhao et al. 2020). Here, F. avenaceum was found causing canker disease in kiwi tree, demonstrating the host and tissue promiscuity of this pathogen. Kiwi is an important crop in China with nearly 1.5 million tons produced in 2019. This report will help to better understand the pathogens reducing kiwi production in China.

Diversification of Stem Morphological and Anatomical Characteristics in Eleocharis and Related Genera (Cyperaceae, Monocotyledoneae)

Abstract— The genus Eleocharis (Cyperaceae, monocotyledons) is characterized by bladeless leaves, which are leaves having only leaf-sheaths. To study the evolutionary process through which Eleocharis species lost their leaf blades, we analyzed the outer morphological and anatomical characters of the representative Eleocharis species, plus species from nine phylogenetically related genera. From the analysis, we recognized eight characters and we optimized their character states on a recent molecular phylogenetic tree. As a result, we recognized five characteristics shared by Eleocharis species as follows: (1) the most apical internode is more than seven times longer than the next apical internode; (2) bladeless leaves having only leaf sheaths; (3) transversely septate aerenchyma in culms; (4) densely and peripherally located, slender, and square timber-shaped fiber bundles in culms; and (5) palisade chlorenchyma in culms. In these characteristics, (2) and (4) are synapomorphies of Eleocharis. These two apomorphic characteristics seemed to be adaptations for inhabiting running waters.

On the brink of extinction: a new freshwater amphipod Jesogammarus acalceolus (Anisogammaridae) from Japan

Freshwater habitats, especially cold springs, are environments in which the risk of extinction faced by organisms remains high due to human activities. To conserve endangered species, it is important to describe and name them. Here, a new, endangered freshwater anisogammarid amphipod species, Jesogammarus (Jesogammarus) acalceolussp. nov., found in a spring in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, is described which is potentially the sole remaining habitat of this species. Both morphological and molecular phylogenetic results strongly support the nesting of the new species within Jesogammarus. Jesogammarus (J.) acalceolussp. nov. is the first species of genus Jesogammarus that was found to lack a calceolus, a sensory organ located on male antenna 2. Thus, the diagnostic criteria for this genus required amendment. A reconstruction of ancestral calceoli, based on a molecular phylogenetic tree, revealed that the common ancestor of Jesogammarus possessed calceoli, which were secondarily lost in J. (J.) acalceolussp. nov. Our results indicate that this new species, which is key to clarifying the evolution of the calceolus, is of high conservation significance.

Preliminary results of studying the genetic diversity of Malaxis monophyllos (Orchidaceae) in the Amur region

For research the plants of Malaxis monophyllos (L.) Sw. were sampled in the Amur region and takenfrom the herbarium collections of the same region (MW and MHA). The plants of M. monophyllos have a high degreeof vari-ability of quantitative morphological characters. First, we paid attention to the number of leaves, the height ofplants and peduncles, the number and size of leaves and the number of flowers. Therefore, the purpose of this workwas compara-tive molecular studies of individuals of the same species with different morphological characteristics.Internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the 18S–26S region of nuclear ribosomal DNA were chosen as amolecular marker. On the molecular phylogenetic tree, the analyzed M. monophyllos plants form clade with a highposterior probability (1.0). The ITS sequences of the analyzed samples are not identical. The level of geneticdifferentiation of nucleotide sequences was 0.12 %, which corresponds to the variability within the species, whichconfirms the belonging of the analyzed samples to the same species. Since the species has a large area, it is necessary toanalyze plant samples from other regions to obtain reliable results. The different regions of the nuclear and plastidgenomes should be added to the genetic analysis.

First report of an important sheat nematode, Hemicycliophora poranga, associated with sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) in Vietnam

Summary Several species of the sheat nematodes, Hemicycliophora spp., have been known to cause significant damage to agricultural crops, including Hemicycliophora arenaria, H. conida, H. parvana, H. poranga, H. similis, and H. typica. Remarkably, our study reported on the presence of H. poranga for the first time in Vietnam. This species was found on 83.33% of the total samples with an average density of 270 individuals/100ml of soil (positive samples). In this study, the Vietnamese population of H. poranga was characterized based on both morphology and molecular characterization of D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S rRNA sequence. Besides, a molecular phylogenetic tree of the genus Hemicycliophora was also provided.

A new species of wood lizard (Hoplocercinae, Enyalioides) from the Río Huallaga Basin in Central Peru

We report the discovery of a new species of Enyalioides from the premontane forest of the Río Huallaga basin in central Peru. The most similar and phylogenetically related species are E. binzayedi and E. rudolfarndti. However, the new species differs from E. binzayedi (state of character in parentheses) by having dorsal scales strongly keeled on paravertebral region and feebly keeled or smooth elsewhere (prominent medial keel on each dorsal scale), more dorsals in transverse row between dorsolateral crests at midbody 26–39, x̄ = 30.44 (22–31, x̄ = 27.57), and a conspicuous posteromedial black patch in the gular region of males (absent). Contrarily, adult males of the new species and E. rudolfarndti are readily distinguished by having a conspicuous posteromedial black patch in the gular region, absent in E. rudolfarndti, and by lacking a conspicuous orange blotch (faint if present) on the antehumeral region, as in E. rudolfarndti. We also present an updated molecular phylogenetic tree of hoplocercines, which strongly supports both referral of the newly discovered species to Enyalioides and its status as distinct from those recognized previously.

Molecular phylogeny of pimoid spiders and the limits of Linyphiidae, with a reassessment of male palpal homologies (Araneae, Pimoidae)

We address the phylogenetic relationships of pimoid spiders (Pimoidae) using a standard target-gene approach with an extensive taxonomic sample, which includes representatives of the four currently recognized pimoid genera, 26 linyphiid genera, a sample of Physoglenidae, Cyatholipidae and one Tetragnathidae species. We test the monophyly of Pimoidae and Linyphiidae and explore the biogeographic history of the group. Nanoa Hormiga, Buckle and Scharff, 2005 and Pimoa Chamberlin & Ivie, 1943 form a clade which is the sister group of a lineage that includes all Linyphiidae, Weintrauboa Hormiga, 2003 and Putaoa Hormiga and Tu, 2008. Weintrauboa, Putaoa, Pecado and Stemonyphantes form a clade (Stemonyphantinae) sister to all remaining linyphiids. We use the resulting optimal molecular phylogenetic tree to assess hypotheses on the male palp sclerite homologies of pimoids and linyphiids. Pimoidae is redelimited to only include Pimoa and Nanoa. We formalize the transfer from Pimoidae of the genera Weintrauboa and Putaoa to Linyphiidae, re-circumscribe the linyphiid subfamily Stemonyphantinae, and offer revised morphological diagnoses for Pimoidae and Linyphiidae.

On the Brink of Extinction: A New Freshwater Amphipod Jesogammarus Acalceolus (Anisogammaridae) From Japan

Freshwater habitats, especially cold springs, are environments in which the extinction risk faced by organisms remains high due to human activities. The extinction risks faced by many species go unrecognized prior to their extinction. To conserve endangered species, it is important to describe and name them. Here, we describe a new, endangered freshwater anisogammarid amphipod species, Jesogammarus (Jesogammarus) acalceolus sp. nov., found in a spring in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, which is potentially the sole remaining habitat of this species. Both morphological and molecular phylogenetic results strongly support the nesting of the new species within Jesogammarus. Jesogammarus (J.) acalceolus sp. nov. is the first species of genus Jesogammarus that was found to lack a calceolus, a sensory organ located on male antenna 2. Thus, the diagnostic criteria for this genus required amendment. A reconstruction of ancestral calceoli, based on a molecular phylogenetic tree, revealed that the common ancestor of Jesogammarus possessed calceoli, which were secondarily lost in J. (J.) acalceolus sp. nov. Our results indicate that this new species, which is key to clarifying the evolution of the calceolus, is of high conservation significance.

Aymoreana (Nelsonioideae, Acanthaceae), a New Genus Endemic to Brazil

Abstract—A species previously treated in Staurogyne (S. nitida) is elevated to the category of a new genus of Acanthaceae, subfamily Nelsonioideae, based on morphological and molecular data. The sole species, Aymoreana nitida, occurs in the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil, from southern Bahia to northern Espírito Santo. Aymoreana differs from other genera of Nelsonioideae by the combination of the calyx with subequal segments, the slightly zygomorphic corolla, the four didynamous stamens, and the asymmetric gynoecium. Morphological information is accompanied by a molecular phylogenetic tree, ecological data, a preliminary conservation assessment, and illustrations.

Mitogenome and Phylogenetic Analysis of Typhlocybine Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

Mitogenomes play an active role in determining the relationship between insect phylogeny and evolution and solve some problems encountered in traditional morphological classification. In order to increase the mitogenome data of leafhoppers the mitogenomes of Cassianeura cassiae and C. bimaculata were sequenced in this study and found to be 15,423 bp and 14,597 bp in length respectively. The gene structure was found to be similar to other published leafhopper mitogenomes, but we found the length of the control region of C. bimaculata to be the shortest in existing studies. The phylogenetic analysis of 13 PCGs resulted in a well-supported tree topology but species in Typhlocybini and Zyginellini were mixed. Meanwhile, this study also provided the phylogenetic analysis based on the body external morphology, female genitalia morphology and male genitalia morphology of 9 species of Typhlocybinae. The results showed that the female sternite VII of different species is quite different, but the female valvulae of different species in the same genus shows a certain consistency. The morphological phylogenetic tree is basically the same structure as the molecular phylogenetic tree. In the two different kinds of phylogenetic trees, Typhlocybini and Zyginellini clustered into one clade, showing a more closed relationship.