Morphological, molecular and ecological aspects of the South American hypogeous fungus Alpova austroalnicola sp. nov.

Abstract

Field studies in Argentina’s Yunga District revealed Alpova austroalnicola sp. nov., a hypogeous fungus associated with Alnus acuminata ssp. acuminata. Morphological and molecular studies based on amplification and sequencing of the nuclear LSU rDNA gene showed its unique identity within Alpova. Related genera included in the analyses were Boletus edulis, Rhizopogon spp., Suillus luteus and Truncocolumella citrina. Additional observations of animal diggings around the sites and microscopic examination of fecal pellets of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus novemcinctus) indicate A. austroalnicola is consumed and its spores dispersed by animals.

• Alnus acuminata
• Boletales
• Dasypus
• molecular systematics
• mycophagy
• phylogeny

We are grateful to Dr Joey Spatafora, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University, who provided laboratory facilities, to Dr Admir Giachini for his kind assistance on molecular analysis and manuscript revision, and to Kentaro Hosaka who facilitated data transfer from herbarium materials. We thank Biol. T. Easdale, LIEY Institute (Tucumán), for identification of fecal pellets and Dr Gustavo Aro, Department of Zoology, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, for his assessment on zoological aspects of the study. This study was supported by Proyungas, SECYT and CONICET. CONICET also provided a postdoctoral fellowship to ERN and a doctoral fellowship to AGB. JMT participation also was supported in part by the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon.