Diversity of genus Lasiodiplodia associated with perennial tropical fruit plants in northeastern Brazil

Until now, only Lasiodiplodia theobromae has been reported in association with gummosis and dieback of cashew plants and other tropical fruit plants in northeastern Brazil. This study aims to identify and characterize species of Lasiodiplodia associated with gummosis and dieback on tropical fruit plants grown in Ceara, Paraiba, Pernambuco, Piaui and Rio Grande do Norte States in northeastern Brazil with a description of two new species: Lasiodiplodia caatinguensis sp. nov. and Lasiodiplodia pontae sp. nov. Fungal identification was accomplished using a combination of morphophysiological and pathogenic characteristics, together with phylogenetic analyses based on partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha sequence (TEF1-alpha), internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and beta-tubulin (beta-tub). Six species of Lasiodiplodia were identified as being associated with several tropical fruit species: Lasiodiplodia brasiliense (Manilkara zapota, Mangifera indica and Spondias purpurea), L. caatinguensis sp. nov. (Anacardium occidentale, Citrus sinensis, S. purpurea and S. lutea), L. euphorbicola (Annona muricata and Cocos nucifera), L. pontae sp. nov. (A. occidentale and S. purpurea), L. pseudotheobromae (A. occidentale, S. purpurea and Tamarindus indica) and L. theobromae (A. occidentale, S. purpurea and Talisia esculenta). This is the first study to use molecular data of Lasiodiplodia taken from the stems and branches of Annona spp., A. occidentale, M. zapota, T. indica, T. esculenta and Spondias spp. After L. caatinguensis sp. nov., the species L. pseudotheobromae and L. theobromae were the second most frequent species. All identified species were able to cause necrotic lesions at different levels of severity when inoculated on mango fruits and young plants of Annona spp., cashew and Spondias spp.