Leptographium longiclavatum sp nov., a new species associated with the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae, and its fungal associates are devastating the lodgepole pine forests in British Columbia, Canada. During our fungal survey, an unknown Leptographium species has been consistently isolated from both D. ponderosae and infested lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia). This Leptographium species has similar morphology with the Leptographium anamorph of Ophiostoma clavigerum whose association with the D. ponderosae is well known. However, thorough morphological comparisons showed that this fungus is distinct from all the other Leptographium species described in the literature, and especially from O. clavigerum. Comparison of DNA sequences of multiple loci and the profiles by the PCR-RFLP marker also confirmed that this Leptographium species represents an undescribed taxon. Based on its distinct morphological, physiological characteristics and phylogenetic position, we describe it as L. longiclavatum sp. nov.