title: Priority of Lophophacidium over Canavirgella: taxonomic status of Lophophacidium dooksii and Canavirgella banfieldii, causal agents of a white pine needle disease.
abstract: In 2009 unusual white pine needle discoloration was observed in eastern Canada and northeastern USA. While the symptoms were similar in most pine stands, the disease was diagnosed as Canavirgella banfieldii in several locations and Dooks needle blight caused by Lophophacidium dooksii in others. Because of the similarities in symptom development and morphological characters of the causal agents, it was suspected that C. banfieldii and L. dooksii are either the same or closely related species. To test this hypothesis we examined several collections representing C. banfieldii and L. dooksii, including the two type specimens. Phylogenetic analyses of nuc internal transcribed spacer rDNA sequences confirm the synonymy of C. banfieldii with the earlier described L. dooksii and provide the first evidence of the close evolutionary relationship of L. dooksii to other pine pathogens.
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 du P.E.P.S., Québec, QC, Canada G1V 4C7 laflamme@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Gaston
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laflamme
authors.affiliation: University of New Hampshire, Department of Biological Sciences, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Broders
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, 1055 du P.E.P.S., Québec, QC, Canada G1V 4C7.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.affiliation: USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, 271 Mast Road, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Munck
authors.affiliation: University of New Hampshire, Department of Biological Sciences, Durham, New Hampshire 03824.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Iriarte
authors.affiliation: Ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec, Direction de la protection des forêts, 2700 Einstein, Québec, QC, Canada G1P 3W8.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Innes
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005075:Biological Evolution; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D028223:Pinus / Q000382:microbiology*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification
keywords: Phacidiaceae; Pinus strobus; Rhytismataceae