Abstract:
Isolates that resemble Dothiorella (Botryosphaeriaceae, Ascomycota) species were isolated from dead
twigs, asymptomatic and necrotized bark of European hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia Scop.), Eurasian smoke
tree (Cotinus coggygria Scop.) and common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) growing in western Slovenia and northern
Italy. They were identified based on anamorph morphology and phylogenetic analyses of the ITS rDNA and
EF-1α sequences, and previously designated as Dothiorella sp. A, B and C. This study has clarified the identity of
these species by comparing them with other Dothiorella species known from culture based on gene sequence data,
as well as morphological characters of the anamorphs. The phylogenetic results revealed three species, Dothiorella
iberica, Dothiorella parva, and a Dothiorella sp. Isolates identified in the phylogenetic analyses as D. parva differed
from the original description of this species and are thus described here based on the anamorph morphology.
Isolates of D. parva were identified from O. carpinifolia in western Slovenia and northern Italy, and C. coggygria in
western Slovenia, and coexist with Dothiorella sp. on O. carpinifolia in northern Italy. Dothiorella iberica was identified
on J. communis in western Slovenia, thus expanding the geographic range of this species. This is the first record
of D. parva from these hosts and countries. Our results indicate that these Dothiorella species occur widely across
the Mediterranean region, and on a variety of hosts.
