Yeasts isolated from a fungus-growing ant nest, including the description of Trichosporon chiarellii sp nov., an anamorphic basidiomycetous yeast

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Phylogeny, ultrastructure, histopathology and prevalence of Myxobolus oliveirai sp. nov., a parasite of Brycon hilarii (Characidae) in the Pantanal wetland, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Candida flosculorum sp nov and Candida floris sp nov., two yeast species associated with tropical flowers

Two ascomycetous yeast species, Candida flosculorum sp. nov. and Candida floris sp. nov., were isolated from tropical flowers and their associated insects. C. flosculorum was isolated from flower bracts of Heliconia velloziana and Heliconia episcopalis (Heliconiaceae) collected from two Atlantic rain forest sites in Brazil. C. floris was isolated from flowers of lpomoea sp. (Convolvulaceae) growing on the banks of the river Paraguai in the pantanal ecosystem in Brazil and from an adult of the stingless bee Trigona sp. and a flower of Merremia quinquefolia (Convolvulaceae) in Costa Rica. C. flosculorum belongs to the Metschnikowiaceae clade and C. floris belongs to the Starmerella clade. The type strain of C. flosculorum is UFMG-JL13(T) (=CBS 10566(T) =NRRL Y-48258(T)) and the type strain of C. floris is UWO(PS) 00-226.2(T) (=CBS 10593(T) =NRRL Y-48255(T)).

Candida bromeliacearum sp nov and Candida ubatubensis sp nov., two yeast species isolated from the water tanks of Canistropsis seidelii (Bromeliaceae)

Strains belonging to two novel yeast species, Candida bromeliacearum and Candida ubatubensis, were isolated from the bromeliad tank of Canistropsis seidelii (Bromeliaceae) in a sandy coastal plain (restinga) ecosystem site in an Atlantic rainforest of south-eastern Brazil. These species were genetically distinct from all other currently accepted ascomycetous yeasts, based on sequence divergence in the D1/D2 domains of the large-subunit rDNA and in the small-subunit rDNA. The species occupy basal positions in the Metschnikowiaceae clacle. The type strains are Candida bromeliacearum UNESP 00-103(T) (=CBS 10002(T) = NRRL Y-27811(T)) and Candida ubatubensis UNESP 01-247R(T) (=CBS 10003(T) = NRRL Y-27812(T)).

Candida leandrae sp nov., an asexual ascomycetous yeast species isolated from tropical plants

The novel yeast species Candida leandrae is described based on eight isolates from decaying fruits of Leandra reversa Cogn. (Melastomataceae) in an Atlantic rainforest site in Brazil, one from a Convolvulaceae flower in Costa Rica and one from a drosophilid in Hawai'i. The strains differed in their colony morphology, one being butyrous and smooth and the other being filamentous and rugose. Sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the large-subunit rRNA gene from both morphotypes were identical. C. leandrae belongs to the Kodamaea clade and is closely related to Candida restingae. The two species can be separated on the basis of growth at 37degreesC and the assimilation of melezitose, negative in the novel species. The type culture of C. leandrae is strain UNESP 00-64R(T) (= CBS 9735(T) = NRRL Y-27757(T)).

Candida heliconiae sp nov., Candida picinguabensis sp nov and Candida saopaulonensis sp nov., three ascomycetous yeasts from Heliconia velloziana (Heliconiaceae)

Strains belonging to three novel yeast species, Candida heliconiae (four isolates), Candida picinguabensis (three isolates) and Candida saopaulonensis (two isolates), were recovered in the year 2000 from water of flower bracts of Heliconia velloziana L. Emigd. (Heliconiaceae) found in a forest ecosystem site in an Atlantic rainforest of south-eastern Brazil. C. picinguabensis and C. saopaulonensis were nearly identical in morphology and physiology, but sequence divergence in the D1/D2 domain of the large-subunit rDNA indicated that they should be regarded as different species. They belong to the Metschnikowiaceae clade. C. heliconiae had affinities to Pichia mexicana and related species, but was genetically isolated from all currently accepted species in that group. The type strains are C. heliconiae UNESP 00-91 C1(T) (= CBS 10000(T) = NRRL Y-27813(T)), C. picinguabensis UNESP 00-89(T) (= CBS 9999(T) = NRRL Y-27814(T)) and C. saopaulonensis UNESP 00-99(T) (=CBS 10001(T) = NRRL Y-27815(T)).

Cladophialophora saturnica sp nov., a new opportunistic species of Chaetothyriales revealed using molecular data

While many members of the black yeasts genus Cladophialophora have been reported to cause diseases in humans, understanding of their natural niche is frequently lacking. Some species can be recovered from the natural environment by means of selective isolation techniques. The present study focuses on a Cladophialophora strain that caused an interdigital tinea nigra-like lesion in a HIV-positive Brazilian child. The fungal infection was successfully treated with oxiconazole. Similar strains had been recovered from the environment in Brazil, Uruguay and the Netherlands. The strains were characterized by sequencing the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions and the small subunit (SSU) of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene, as well as the elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1) gene. Since no match with any known species was found, it is described as the new species, Cladophialophora saturnica.

Candida golubevii sp nov., an asexual yeast related to Metschnikowia lunata

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Adenocalymma calcareum sp nov (Bignoniaceae) from Brazilian Amazonia and a key to the Amazonian species of the genus

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Characterization of a novel freshwater gigartinalean red alga from Belize, with a description of Sterrocladia belizeana sp nov (Rhodophyta)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Phylogenetic relationships in Kumanoa (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) species in Brazil with the proposal of Kumanoa amazonensis sp nov.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A phytophagous braconid, Allorhogas conostegia sp nov (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), in the fruits of Conostegia xalapensis (Bonpl.) D. Don (Melastomataceae)

Before 1989 all braconid wasps were thought to be parasitoids, but in that year the first phytophagous species was reported. Subsequently, a few other examples of phytophagy have been discovered, most of which are species of Allorhogas in the subfamily Doryctinae. Until now, all demonstrated examples of phytophagy in this genus have been as gall inducers in the fruits of Fabaceae. Here we describe a new species from Costa Rica, Allorhogas conostegia Marsh and Shaw, and provide evidence that it forms galls in the fruits of Conostegia xalapensis (Melastomataceae). We also provide information on the phenology of the plant and of the galls and the effects of the galls on the host plant, and we discuss the potential species richness of Allorhogas in the Neotropics.

A new genus of dipnoiformes from the Cretaceous of Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A new titanosaur from western São Paulo State, Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group, south-east Brazil

Material from a new titanosaur from the Bauru Basin (Bauru Group), Brazil is described and compared with well-known titanosaurs. Adamantisaurus mezzalirai gen. et sp. nov. is based on six articulated anterior caudal vertebrae and two haemapophyses collected from the Adamantina Formation, which is considered to be Campanian-Maastrichtian? in age. Adamantisaurus mezzalirai is characterized by the following combination of characteristics: anterior caudal vertebrae with straight or slightly backwardly-projecting neural spines with strongly expanded distal ends, stout prespinal lamina, very wide pre- and postzygapophyseal articular facets, and concave postzygapophyseal articular facets on anterior caudal vertebrae. Although our cladistic analysis has produced equivocal results, Adamantisaurus mezzalirai shares with DGM 'Series B' (Peiropolis titanosaur) and Aeolosaurus the presence of postzygapophyses with concave articular facets, and shares with DGM 'Series B' the presence of laterally expanded neural spines and stout prespinal lamina. Additionally, A. mezzalirai shares with DGM 'Series' C (other titanosaur from Peiropolis) the presence of short neural spines.

Anindobothrium n. gen. (Eucestoda : Tetraphyllidea) inhabiting marine and freshwater potamotrygonid stingrays

Anindobothrium n. gen. is proposed to accommodate Caulobothrium anacolum inhabiting Himanturu schmardae from Colombia, and 2 new species, one inhabiting Potamotrygon orbigny in Brazil and the other inhabiting Paratrygon aereiba in Venezuela. Members of the new genus resemble members of Pararhinebothroides, Rhinebothroides, and Anthocephalum by having bothridia with poorly differentiated apical suckers and vasa deferentia expanded into external seminal vesicles. It further resembles Pararhinebothroides, Rhinebothroides, and Anthocephalum cairae by having vas deferens inserted near the poral rather than aporal end of the cirrus sac. The 3 species assigned to the new genus form an apparent monophyletic group, based on the possession of 3 putative synapomorphies: (1) genital pores in the anterior 1/4 of the proglottid, a trait that is unusual, but not unique, among phyllobothriids; (2) anteroventral ovarian lobes converging to the center of the proglottid, a character not previously reported for phyllobothriids; and (3) ovarian lobes comprising a loose network of digitiform processes.