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The species is one of the basic units of biological classification. Both species concepts and recognition are essential topics in taxonomic studies and other biological research. In the first part of this review, we briefly discuss the taxonomic history of the class Dothideomycetes. In the second part of the paper, we review four commonly used species concepts, focusing on morphological, ecological, biological and phylogenetic criteria and their applicability in the taxonomy of Dothideomycetes. The application and utility of the four criteria is discussed with examples in the genera Ascochyta, Cercospora and Neofusicoccum. Some problems and challenges of studying Dothideomycetes are analyzed and basic guidelines for classifying species under the above criteria are provided.

Lysin motif (LysM) proteins are reported to be necessary for the virulence and immune response suppression in many herbaceous plant pathogens, while far less is documented in woody plant pathogens. In this study, we preliminarily characterized the molecular function of a LysM protein LtLysM1 in woody plant pathogen Lasiodiplodia theobromae. Transcriptional profiles revealed that LtLysM1 is highly expressed at infectious stages, especially at 36 and 48 hours post inoculation. Amino acid sequence analyses revealed that LtLysM1 was a putative glycoprotein with 10 predicted N-glyco- sylation sites and one LysM domain. Pathogenicity tests showed that overexpressed transformants of LtLysM1 displayed increased virulence on grapevine shoots in comparison with that of wild type CSS-01s, and RNAi transformants of LtLysM1 exhibited significantly de- creased lesion length when compared with that of wild type CSS-01s. Moreover, LtLysM1 was confirmed to be a secreted protein by a yeast signal peptide trap as- say. Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana together with protein immunoblotting confirmed that LtLysM1 was an N-glycosylated protein. In contrast to previously reported LysM protein Slp1 and OsCEBiP, LtLysM1 molecule did not interact with itself based on yeast two hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays. These results indicate that LtLysM1 is a secreted protein and functions as a critical virulence factor during the disease symptom development in woody plants.

The class Dothideomycetes is the largest and most ecologically diverse class of fungi, comprising endophytes, epiphytes, saprobes, human and plant pathogens, lichens, and lichenicolous, nematode trapping and rock-inhabiting taxa. Members of this class are mainly characterized by bitunicate asci with fissitunicate dehiscence, and occur on broad range of hosts in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Since the last monograph of families of Dothideomycetes in 2013, numerous novel species, genera, families and orders have been discovered. This has expanded information which has led to the modern classification in Dothideomycetes. In this paper, we provide a refined updated document on families of Dothideomycetes with emphasis on Dothideomycetidae and Pleosporomycetidae. We accept three orders with 25 families and four orders with 94 families in Dothideomycetidae and Pleosporomycetidae, respectively. The new family Paralophiostomataceae is introduced in Pleosporales. Each family is provided with an updated description, notes, including figures to represent the morphology, list of accepted genera, and economic and ecological significances. We also provide an overall phylogenetic tree of families in Dothideomycetes based on combined analysis of LSU, SSU, rpb-2 and tefl sequence data, and phylogenetic trees for each order in Dothideomycetidae and Pleosporomycetidae. Family-level trees are provided for the families which include several genera such as Mycosphaerellaceae and Teratosphaeriaceae. Two new genera (Ligninsphaeriopsis and Paralophiostoma) are introduced. Five new species (Biatrisopora borsei, Comoclathris galatellae, Ligninsphaeriopsis thailandica, Paralophiostoma hysterioides and Torula thailandica) are introduced based on morphology and phylogeny, together with nine new reports and seven new collections from different families.

In this paper we describe a new species of cave fungus belonging to Sporocadaceae (Amphisphaeriales), collected from Gem Cave, Fumin County, Yunnan Province, China. Initial morphological observations confirmed that our fungal collection is a pestalotioid species. Phylogenetic analyses of combined internal transcribed spacer (ITS), β-tubulin (TUB) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1α) gene sequence dataset confirmed that our fungus forms an independent branch within Neopestalotiopsis. Thus, we describe our fungus as a new species of Neopestalotiopsis based on both morphology and multigene phylogeny. This is the first-ever report of Neopestalotiopsis from a cave habitat. A full description, micrographs and a phylogenetic tree showing the placement of the new species are provided.

This paper is the second in a series focused on providing a stable platform for the taxonomy of phytopathogenic fungi. It focuses on 25 phytopathogenic genera: Alternaria, Bipolaris, Boeremia, Botryosphaeria, Calonectria, Coniella, Corticiaceae, Curvularia, Elsinoe, Entyloma, Erythricium, Fomitiporia, Fulviformes, Laetisaria, Limonomyces, Neofabraea, Neofusicoccum, Phaeoacremonium, Phellinotus, Phyllosticta, Plenodomus, Pseudopyricularia, Tilletia, Venturia and Waitea, using recent molecular data, up to date names and the latest taxonomic insights. For each genus a taxonomic background, diversity aspects, species identification and classification based on molecular phylogeny and recommended genetic markers are provided. In this study, varieties of the genus Boeremia have been elevated to species level. Botryosphaeria, Bipolaris, Curvularia, Neofusicoccum and Phyllosticta that were included in the One Stop Shop 1 paper are provided with updated entries, as many new species have been introduced to these genera.

This is the fourth in a series of Mycosphere notes wherein we provide notes on various fungal genera. In this set of notes, we introduce Phaeoseptaceae as a new family, Pseudobyssosphaeria (Melanommataceae) as a new genus, 40 new species, 11 new host or country records, one reference specimen, one new combination and provide a description of the holotype of Uleodothis balansiana (Dothideaceae). The new species are Acrospermum longisporium (Acrospermaceae), Ascitendus aquaticus (Annulatascaceae), Ascochyta clinopodiicola (Didymellaceae), Asterina magnoliae (Asterinaceae), Barbatosphaeria aquatica (Barbatosphaeriaceae), Camarosporidiella populina (Camarosporidiellaceae), Chaetosphaeria mangrovei (Chaetosphaeriaceae), Cytospora predappioensis, Cytospora prunicola (Cytosporaceae), Dendryphiella phitsanulokensis (Dictyosporiaceae), Diaporthe subcylindrospora, Diaporthe subellipicola (Diaporthaceae), Diplodia arengae (Botryosphaeriaceae), Discosia querci (Sporocadaceae), Dyfrolomyces sinensis (Pleurotremataceae), Gliocladiopsis aquaticus (Nectriaceae), Hysterographium didymosporum (Pleosporomycetidae genera, incertae sedis), Kirschsteiniothelia phoenicis (Kirschsteiniotheliaceae), Leptogium thailandicum (Collemataceae), Lophodermium thailandicum (Rhytismataceae), Medicopsis chiangmaiensis (Neohendersoniaceae), Neocamarosporium phragmitis (Neocamarosporiaceae), Neodidymelliopsis negundinis (Didymellaceae), Neomassarina pandanicola (Sporormiaceae), Neooccultibambusa pandanicola (Occultibambusaceae), Neophaeosphaeria phragmiticola (Neophaeosphaeriaceae), Neosetophoma guiyangensis (Phaeosphaeriaceae), Neosetophoma shoemakeri (Phaeosphaeriaceae), Neosetophoma xingrensis (Phaeosphaeriaceae), Ophiocordyceps cylindrospora (Ophiocordycipitaceae), Otidea pseudoformicarum (Otideaceae), Periconia elaeidis (Periconiaceae), Phaeoisaria guttulata, Pleurotheciella krabiensis, Pleurotheciella tropica (Pleurotheciaceae), Pteridiospora bambusae (Astrosphaeriellaceae), Phaeoseptum terricola (Phaeoseptaceae), Poaceascoma taiwanense (Lentitheciaceae), Pseudobyssosphaeria bambusae (Melanommataceae) and Roussoella mangrovei (Roussoellaceae). The new host records or new country records are provided for Alfaria terrestris (Stachybotryaceae), Arthrinium phragmites (Apiosporaceae), Bertiella ellipsoidea (Melanommataceae), Brevicollum hyalosporum (Neohendersoniaceae), Byssosphaeria siamensis (Melanommataceae), Cerothallia subluteoalba (Teloschistaceae), Cryptophiale hamulata (Chaetosphaeriaceae), Didymella aliena (Didymellaceae), Epicoccum nigrum (Didymellaceae), Periconia pseudobyssoides (Periconiaceae) and Truncatella angustata (Sporocadaceae).

This is the third paper in the series, Mycosphere notes, wherein we provide notes on various fungal taxa. In this set of notes, we deal with species found on the grape genus, Vitis, one of the most important economically important crops, grown worldwide. We provide notes on 67 taxa, including two new species, Alternaria italica and Alfaria vitis, an asexual morph for Alfaria cyperiesculenti and 41 new host records or distribution records. The taxonomic placement of most taxa discussed in this study is based on a modern taxonomic framework based on analysis of multi-gene sequence data.

Grape white rot is a common disease and causes considerable yield losses in many grape-growing regions when environmental conditions are favorable. We surveyed grape white rot in five provinces in China and collected 27 isolates from diseased grape tissues. Multigene phylogenetic analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2), the 28S large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA (LSU), partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF 1-α), and partial histone 3 gene (HIS), coupled with genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition and morphological observations, revealed that Coniella vitis sp. nov. and C. diplodiella are the causal agents of grape white rot in China. Koch’s postulates were performed on Vitis vinifera cv. Summer Black in a greenhouse. These results confirmed the pathogenicity on grapes, as symptoms were reproduced, and also indicated significant variations in the virulence among C. vitis isolates. This work provides evidence that C. vitis is the main pathogen of grape white rot in China and also provides an optimized multigene backbone for resolving Coniella species.

Tolypocladium, a diverse genus of fungicolous fungi belonging to Ophiocordycipitaceae, includes saprotrophic soil inhabitants, plant endophytes and pathogens of insects, nematodes, rotifers, and parasites of truffle-like fungi. Here, we review the research progress achieved for Tolypocladium regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution, host affiliations and ecological diversity. Furthermore, an undescribed taxon from China was established using morphology and multi-gene phylogeny. Tolypocladium inusitaticapitatum is introduced as a new species parasitizing ectomycorrhizal Elaphomyces species. It is diagnosed by its irregularly enlarged fertile heads and lemon, yellow-to-dark-brown, smooth and nearly cylindrical stipe. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU, LSU, ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence data showed T. inusitaticapitatum to be an independent lineage separated from T. flavonigrum in the clade comprising T. capitatum, T. fractum and T. longisegmentatum. A key for identifying the sexual Tolypocladium species is also provided.

Three coelomycete species with muriform conidia were collected in Italy and subjected to morpho-molecular analyses. In morphology, all species are similar to Camarosporium sensu stricto. Based on morphology, one was identified as C. spartii and the other two taxa are introduced as new species, viz. C. clematidis and C. robiniicola. Maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses of the combined LSU, SSU and ITS dataset show that the three taxa cluster with C. quaternatum, the type species of Camarosporium, with high bootstrap and PP values. All four species can be considered as Camarosporium sensu stricto. Cucurbitaria elongata groups in the Camarosporium clade near to Camarosporium robiniicola and is considered that it is not congeneric with Cucurbitaria sensu stricto (Cucurbitariaceae).