Ophiostomatatoid fungi (Ascomycota) associated with Ips acuminatus (Coleoptera) in eastern Poland

Abstract

Ips acuminatus (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) is a pine-infesting bark beetle that occurs throughout Europe and Asia. Recently, the insect has killed numerous Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) in eastern Poland. Several species of ophiostomatoid fungi are associated with I. acuminatus in Europe, but no research has been done on the fungi associated with this bark beetle in Central Europe specifically. The aim of this study was to identify the ophiostomatoid fungal associates of I. acuminatus in eastern Poland, where tree mortality caused by this beetle species has recently increased. Field surveys in Puławy and Mircze Forest Districts yielded a total of 2 269 fungal isolates from 237 beetles and 204 beetle galleries. Isolates were grouped based on morphology and representatives of each group were identified based on DNA sequences of the ITS, LSU, β-tubulin, calmodulin and elongation factor 1-α gene regions. A total of seven previously described species of ophiostomatoid fungi were identified. The dominant species were Graphilbum acuminatum and Sporothrix pseudoabietina. This study revealed that the community of ophiostomatoid fungi associated with I. acuminatus in Poland is different from those reported in other regions of Europe. In addition, molecular data suggest that S. pseudoabietina is a synonym of S. villosa in the Sporothrix gossypina & S. stenoceras species complexes.