Arthroderma silverae sp. nov. and Chrysosporium vallenarense, keratinophilic fungi from arctic and montane habitats

Abstract

Arthroderma silverae sp. nov. is described from canine dung collected in lowland high arctic areas in Svalbard and from high elevation montane woodlands in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. Arthroderma silverae is similar to other species of Arthroderma in possessing small, smooth-walled, oblate ascospores, anastomosed hyphae forming a mesh-like peridium, the ability to degrade keratin, and rhexolytically dehiscing conidia assignable to the form-genus Chrysosporium . It is distinguishable by confluent rather than discrete ascocarps, peridial hyphal cells which are often curved, irregularly swollen and dichotomously branched, and by lack of ascocarp appendages. An isolate of Chrysosporium vallenarense obtained from arctic fox ( Alopex lagopus ) dung from high arctic regions near Ny lesund, Svalbard, is described and compared to the type strain.