Three new beetle-associated yeast species in the Pichia guilliermondii clade

New yeasts in the Pichia guilliermondii clade were isolated from the digestive tract of basidiocarp-feeding members of seven families of Coleoptera. A molecular phylogeny and unique traits placed eight isolates in Candida fermentati and three undescribed taxa in the genus Candida. The new species and type strains are C smithsonii (type strain NRRL Y-27642(T)), C athensensis (type strain NRRL Y-27644(T)), and C elateridarum (type strain NRRL Y-27647(T)). Based on comparison of small-and large-subunit rDNA sequences, C smithsonii and C athensensis form a statistically well-supported subclade with P. guilliermondii, C xestobii, and C. fermentati, C elateridarum is basal to this subclade. (C) 2004 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.