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Abstract
We present the first report of Harpellales (Kickxellomycotina) from Hispaniola. The Dominican Republic was surveyed, and members of the ecological group trichomycetes were encountered in the gut of their arthropod hosts. Among Harpellales we describe a new species, Smittium caribense, and report the presence of seven previously known species that are new for Hispaniola: Genistellospora homothallica, Harpella amazonica, Harpella tica, Legeriomyces rarus, Smittium culisetae, Smittium dipterorum and Stachylina grandispora. The dominance of cosmopolitan, dipteran-associated species is the most outstanding effect resulting from the insularity on gut fungi.
The authors are grateful for the NSF DEB-0615510 project, which financed our investigations; for Generalitat de Catalunya-Fulbright Commission for the grant supporting LGV; also for the assistance of University of Puerto Rico, Dept. of Biology, and staff of Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) for their kind and helpful reception. We also are grateful for the aid of Kennida Polanco and Maria Quirico who kindly accompanied and helped us with some of the collections in DR. Finally we are grateful for the help of S. Santamaria (UAB) who helped us with LEICA scope photographs (provided by the project Flora Micológica Ibérica-VI REN2002-04068-C02-02) and largely supported LGV in her mycological research. Collecting permits for Dominican Republic under authorization 01849 also are acknowledged.
