title: Diplodia quercivora sp. nov.: a new species of Diplodia found on declining Quercus canariensis trees in Tunisia.
abstract: During a study of the species of Botryosphaeriaceae associated with oak decline in Tunisia, a large collection of Diplodia strains were isolated from Quercus afares, Q. canariensis and Q. suber trees showing a progressive dieback of shoots and branches, trunk canker and exudates and collar rot. Most of the isolates were identified as Diplodia corticola, while two isolates from Q. canariensis were morphologically and phylogenetically (ITS and tef1-α sequences data) distinct from all other known species of Diplodia. They are described here as Diplodia quercivora sp. nov. In addition, phylogenetic analyses showed for the first time the existence of two distinct lineages within D. corticola. In artificial inoculation experiments, D. quercivora caused necrotic lesions on bark and wood of three Mediterranean oak species, Q. ilex, Q. pubescens and Q. suber. In particular, among the oak species tested, Q. pubescens was the most susceptible.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Agraria, Sezione di Patologia vegetale ed Entomologia, Università degli Studi di Sassari, via E. De Nicola 1, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetto T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Linaldeddu
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Alan J L
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001483:Base Sequence; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D029963:Quercus / Q000382:microbiology*; D036226:Seedlings; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013172:Spores, Fungal; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
keywords: Botryosphaeriaceae; Diplodia; oak decline; phylogeny; taxonomy