Brazilian tropical dry forest (Caatinga) in the spotlight: an overview of species of Aspergillus, Penicillium and Talaromyces (Eurotiales) and the description of P. vascosobrinhous sp. nov.

Renan Do Nascimento Barbosa,Neiva Tinti Oliveira,Jos Houbraken,Jadson Diogo Pereira Bezerra,Cristina Maria De Souza-Motta,Roger Fagner Ribeiro Melo,Ana Carla Da Silva Santos

doi:10.1590/0102-33062019abb0411

Abstract

ABSTRACT A literature-based checklist of species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces recorded in the Brazilian tropical dry forest (Caatinga), the largest tropical dry forest region in South America, is provided. A total of 130 species (60 Aspergillus, 57 Penicillium, and 13 Talaromyces) are reported. Soil was the most common substrate, with 122 species records. Various reported species are well known in biotechnological processes. This checklist reflects the limited knowledge of fungal species in tropical dry environments. These data provide a good starting point for biogeographical studies on species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces in dry environments worldwide. In addition, the new species Penicillium vascosobrinhous is introduced, an endophytic fungus isolated from cactus of the Caatinga forest in Brazil.

Highlights

Brazil harbors the largest biodiversity in the world, including biomes regarded as hotspots for the biological diversity assessment and conservation (Françoso et al 2015; Frehse et al 2016; Molotoks et al 2018)
The Caatinga forest is the largest tropical dry forest in South America, and it has a substantial diversity of plants, mammals, fish, insects, amphibians, and recently its fungal diversity has been studied from several substrates and hosts (Leal et al 2003; Maia et al 2015; Silva et al 2017)
Considering the relevance of checklists as important tools in taxonomy, systematics and conservation, especially in poorly known biomes, this study aimed to summarize the records of Aspergillus, Penicillium and Talaromyces species/ names in the Caatinga tropical dry forest, by presenting an up to date list of valid species names, their substrate and distribution

Summary

Introduction

Brazil harbors the largest biodiversity in the world, including biomes regarded as hotspots for the biological diversity assessment and conservation (Françoso et al 2015; Frehse et al 2016; Molotoks et al 2018). Some vegetational types/biomes, and the extent of uniqueness in the ecological complexity it harbors, are exclusive to Brazil, such as the Atlantic Forest and the two Brazilian tropical dry forests named “Cerrado” and “Caatinga”. The Brazilian semiarid is one of the most important dry landscapes in the world, with about 24 million people, equivalent about 12 % of the Brazilian population (Alvalá et al 2019). Caatinga is part of the seasonally dry tropical forests, a global biome that was not recognized by the scientific community as distinct until a few years ago (Santos et al 2011)

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