title: A new isolate of Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum, and Amoeboaphelidium occidentale, a new species in phylum Aphelida (Opisthosporidia).
abstract: Microalgae used in the production of biofuels represents an alternative to fossil fuels. One problem in the production of algae for biofuels is attacks by algal parasitoids that can cause population crashes when algae are cultivated in outdoor ponds (Greenwell et al. 2010). Integrated solutions are being sought to mitigate this problem, and an initial step is pest identification. We isolated an algal parasitoid from an open pond of Scenedesmus dimorphus used for biofuel production in New Mexico and examined its morphology, ultrastructure and molecular phylogeny. A phylogenetic analysis placed this organism in Aphelida as conspecific with Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum sensu Karpov et al. 2013. As a result we re-evaluated the taxonomy of Amoeboaphelidium protococcarum sensu Letcher et al. 2013 and here designate it as a new species, Amoeboaphelidium occidentale.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487 letch006@ua.edu.
authors: Peter M
authors: PM
authors: Letcher
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487.
authors: Martha J
authors: MJ
authors: Powell
authors: Crop Protection Group, Sapphire Energy, Inc., Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007.
authors: Salvador
authors: S
authors: Lopez
authors: Crop Protection Group, Sapphire Energy, Inc., Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007.
authors: Philip A
authors: PA
authors: Lee
authors: Crop Protection Group, Sapphire Energy, Inc., San Diego, California 92121.
authors: Robert C
authors: RC
authors: McBride
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009516:New Mexico; D010802:Phylogeny; D013170:Spores / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels
keywords: aphelid; biofuel; systematics; taxonomy; ultrastructure