Abstract:
Euphorbia ingens trees have been dying in
large numbers in the Limpopo Province of South
Africa for approximately 15 years. The ambrosia
beetle Cyrtogenius africus is often found infesting
diseased and dying trees. The aim of this study was to
identify the ophiostomatoid fungi occurring in the
galleries of C. africus. Logs infested with this beetle
were collected from the KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo,
Mpumalanga, and North West Provinces of South
Africa. Fungi belonging to the Ophiostomatales were
identified based on morphology and comparison of
sequence data for the b-tubulin, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and
LSU gene regions. A novel species of Ophiostoma and
a novel genus in the Ophiostomatales were identified.
Inoculation studies with these fungi produced lesions
in the branches of healthy E. ingens trees.
