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Two isolates representing a novel species of the genus Wickerhamiella were obtained in India from nectar of flowers of Lantana camara , an ornamental exotic species native to Central and South America. Phylogenetic analyses of the D1/D2 domain of the 26S large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and physiological characteristics, supported the recognition of the novel species, that we designate Wickerhamiella lachancei sp. nov (MycoBank no. MB851709), with MCC 9929 T as the holotype and PYCC 10003 T as the isotype. Considering pairwise sequence similarity, the type strain of the novel species differs from the type strain of the most closely related species, Wickerhamiella drosophilae CBS 8459 T , by 16 nucleotide substitutions and two gaps (3.9 % sequence variation) in the D1/D2 region (560 bp compared) and 28 nucleotide substitutions and five gaps (7.22 % sequence variation) in the ITS region (444 bp compared).

Multiple isolates belonging to the basidiomycetous genus Cystofilobasidium were obtained from forest soils in Serra da Arrábida Natural Park in Portugal. Phylogenetic analyses employing concatenated sequences of the D1/D2 domain and ITS region support the recognition of two novel species: Cystofilobasidium alribaticum f.a., sp. nov. (type strain CBS 14164 T  = PYCC 6956 T  = DSM 101473 T ) and Cystofilobasidium intermedium sp. nov. (type strain CBS 14089 T  = PYCC 6856 T  = DSM 101474 T ). Whereas C. alribaticum f. a. sp. nov. does not form hyphae, even when different strains are crossed, C. intermedium sp. nov. is self-fertile and forms mycelium with teliospores that upon germination give rise to slender basidia. The most remarkable physiological trait of the two novel species is their ability to grow at 35 °C, a property not observed for remaining species of the genus.

Fifteen aquatic environments (lakes, lagoons and rivers) of glacial origin in the northern Andean Patagonia (Argentina) were surveyed for the occurrence of red yeasts. Subsurface water samples were filtered and used for colony counting and yeast isolation. A preliminary quantitative analysis indicated that total yeast counts ranged between 0 and 250 cells l(-1). A polyphasic approach including physiological and molecular methods was used for the identification of 64 carotenogenic yeast strains. The molecular characterisation of the isolates was based on the mini/microsatellite-primed PCR technique (MSP-PCR) employing the (GTG)5 and the M13 primers. Comparison of representative fingerprints of each group with those of the type strains of pigmented yeasts allowed the expeditious identification of 87.5% isolates. The sequence analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the 26S rDNA was employed to confirm identifications and in the characterization of the unidentified MSP-PCR groups. Teleomorphic yeast species were detected by performing sexual compatibility assays. The isolates corresponded to 6 genera and 15 yeast species, including four new yeast species of the genera Cryptococcus (1), Rhodotorula (1) and Sporobolomyces (2). Rhodotorula mucilaginosa was found in the majority of the samples and represented ca. 50% of the total number of isolates. However, this yeast was not detected in aquatic environments with very low anthropic influence. Other frequent yeast isolates were teleomorphic yeast species of Rhodosporidium babjevae, R. kratochvilovae and Sporidiobolus salmonicolor. This study represents the first report on red yeast occurrence and biodiversity in northwestern Patagonia.