Host Plant Relationships Research Articles

An Analysis of the Lepidoptera of the San Joaquin Desert of California, with Notes on their Herbivory and Host Plant Relationships

An Analysis of the Lepidoptera of the San Joaquin Desert of California, with Notes on their Herbivory and Host Plant Relationships

Editorial: Ecology and evolution of host-plant relations in gall-inducing arthropods

Editorial: Ecology and evolution of host-plant relations in gall-inducing arthropods

Two new species of the genus Aeolothrips (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) from Iran

Two new species Aeolothrips kermanensis sp. n., from the southeast, and Aeolothrips richardi sp. n. from the west of Iran are described as new to science. Host-plant relationships among Aeolothrips Haliday species of Iran are discussed. The record of A. montivagus from Iran was revised. The list of Iranian species of Aeolothrips is updated and diagnostic characters for the two new species are illustrated.

Global macroecological patterns in host plant associations of Cryptocephalinae case-bearer leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Abstract The aim of our work is to catalogue host plant records of the leaf beetle subfamily Cryptocephalinae at the global scale and use it as the foundation to analyse host plant relationships, one proposed key driver in the evolution of phytophagan hyperdiversity. We describe macro-scale host association patterns and assess the trophic range of Cryptocephalinae at the generic level. We assembled 532 sources and extracted 14 253 host plant records (1894 species of plants) for 1436 species of Cryptocephalinae. The results revealed that most genera of Cryptocephalinae are either polyphagous or strongly polyphagous, yet the five tribes exhibit intrinsic patterns of host association. Clear macroecological constraints exist for Cryptocephalinae within major lineages of plants. Polyphagy is also maintained for most of the documented juvenile stages and the 19 genera with myrmecophilous species. The most common host plants for Cryptocephalinae are eudicots, especially among the rosids the order Fabales has the most records, and Asterales, Fagales, Malpighiales, Myrtales, Rosales, and Sapindales are common hosts within all Cryptocephalinae tribes. Our meta-analysis approach and assessing the quality of host plant records permit detection of patterns in host association at the global scale and allows detection of all levels of plant–beetle interactions, from unlikely hosts to potential or real feeders. Our criteria for assessing host plant records and our working model can be applied to other chrysomelid subfamilies and phytophagous insects. The analysis of macroecological patterns and host checklist provide a basis for generic revisions and hypothesis construction in future ecological, molecular, and morphological studies.

Spanioneura fonscolombii Förster (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) a New Jumping Plant-Lice for Turkish Fauna

Aim of study: To investigate the distribution area, some biological characteristics and host plant relationship of Spanioneura fonscolombii Förster (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) species, a psyllid we recently found its distribution in Turkey, for the first time within this study. 
 Material and methods: We collected adults and nymphs of the insect from the host plants during the visits to the study area on different dates. The insect was recognised as a psyllid species. Some adult samples were sent to the expert Dr. Burckhard for species identification. The psyllid damage on host plants of Buxus balearica was identified for the first time as a new host for Spanioneura fonscolombii. 
 Main results: 1- We identified Spaineura fonscolombii species distribution in Turkey for the first time, 2- Population size was highly dense in the study area based on initial observation, 3- New host plant, Buxus balearica, for the pest species was identified for the first time, 4- Overwintering properties of the pest species was determined. 
 Research highlihts: First record of the pest in Turkey. Determination of the most Southern and Eastern, probably so far known, distribution of the pest species in the world. Determination of a new host plant for the pest.

Evaluation of lettuce germplasm for resistance to impatiens necrotic spot virus

Recently, impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) has emerged as a major pathogen of lettuce in the Salinas Valley of California. The virus is a member of the genus Orthotospovirus, and under natural conditions, is transmitted by the tiny insect, western flower thrips. Due to the high efficiency of virus transmission, chemical management of thrips vectors is often ineffective in preventing the spread of the disease. Utilization of genetic resistance will be a critical component for managing the disease; however, little is known about genetic sources of resistance in lettuce. Here, we evaluated 189 lettuce lines under natural disease pressure in four field experiments to identify INSV resistant germplasm. The stability of resistance was also evaluated using different inoculation methods under controlled conditions. Our results showed a significant variation (p < 0.0001) among lettuce cultivars for both INSV severity and incidence. We identified INSV resistant germplasm that belongs to different horticultural types and leaf color, including a red-leaf cultivar ‘Eruption’ with a high degree of genetic stability. Moreover, we characterized several factors influencing thrips and host plant relationships, including horticultural type, leaf color, and polyphenol concentration. Overall, INSV resistant germplasm identified in this study provide valuable resources for breeding of INSV resistant lettuce cultivars.

Two new species of the genus Agramma (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae) from small islands of Japan, with an illustrated key to the Japanese species of the genus

The present study describes two new species of the monocotyledon-feeding lace bugs of the genus Agramma Stephens, 1829 (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae, Tinginae, Tingini) from small islands of Japan. The first is A. (A.) izuensesp. nov., which was recorded as A. (A.) japonicum (Drake, 1948) from Hachijo Island, the Izu Islands, in a previous study, and is considered an independent species here based on morphological characteristics and molecular data. The second is A. (A.) keramensesp. nov., which has a remarkable spineless head and was discovered from Aka and Geruma islands, Kerama Group, the Ryukyu Islands. Consequently, the following four species of Agramma were recognized in Japan: A. (A.) abruptifrons Golub, 1990, A. (A.) izuensesp. nov., A. (A.) japonicum, and A. (A.) keramensesp. nov. Only dozens of submacropterous morphs were confirmed in these two species in the present study, suggesting that both new species are flightless. In addition, an illustrated key for the identification of the four species from Japan and the host plant relationships of the two new species are provided.

What shapes galling insect–parasitoid interaction networks on closely related host plants?

Abstract Ecological networks describe community structure by focusing on how nodes are connected by links (interactions). Related species have higher probabilities of sharing links if interactions depending on phylogeny and/or species are functionally similar; however, if and how this modularity impacts higher trophic levels is still an open question. We aimed to evaluate the effect of different structuring factors on an observed bipartite network of galling insects and associated parasitoids on a system with two closely related and recently diverged plants, where host‐tracking could be underway. We hypothesized that gall structure, galler taxonomy and host plant identity could contribute, from a higher to a lower degree respectively, to network modularity by generating a selective pressure on parasitoids. Samples were collected between May 2015 and June 2017 in the forest areas of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. Overall, we found 4629 galls of three monophagous and four oligophagous galling species; 664 parasitoid individuals were obtained and classified into 37 morphospecies. We constructed four networks with the collected data by organising nodes according to the tested factors, that is, gall structure, galler taxonomy, host plant identity and gall–plant interaction. All networks were significantly modular, and for three out of four analysed factors (gall structure, galler taxonomy and gall–plant interaction), modularity levels were at least intermediate (at about Q = 0.4). Barriers to or preferences for certain interactions appear to be responses to multiple concomitant factors. However, galler taxonomy and host plant identity are somehow stronger determinants for the parasitoids in terms of attacked hosts.

Knot formation and spread along the shoot stem in 13 olive cultivars inoculated with an indigenous pathobiome of 7 species of Pseudomonas including Pseudomonas savastanoi.

Olive knot is a widely spread disease among olive (Olea europaea L.) trees. Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi is recognized as the primary causative agent of the disease however, recent evidence indicated that consortia of bacteria (pathobiome), may favor its development. Several factors are involved in the host-plant relationship and affect the intensity of the symptoms. Among these the presence of wounds, or damages to the plants' tissues may affect the intensity and propagation of the disease. It remains unknown whether or not bacteria move from an infected wound to another not infected one via shoot tissues. The present investigation focused on the susceptibility to olive knot of several cultivars after inoculating artificial wounds with selected Pseudomonas species, while spreading the disease from these to wounds on the same stem, that had not been purposefully inoculated. The pathobiome for the inoculum was prepared with 7 species of Pseudomonas (including Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi), isolated from knot samples collected from two different, heavily infected olive orchards. The inoculation was done after the manual execution of 10 horizontal wounds on the stem of potted plants of 13 olive cultivars grown in the greenhouse. Only the lowest 5 wounds were inoculated. The inoculated wounds showed a maximum percentage of knots after 187 days. All 13 cultivars showed knots yet, the cultivar with the most severe disease level to Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi was 'Rosciola colli Esini'. The metataxonomic analysis performed on the olive knots removed after 225 days confirmed the dominance of the inoculated species Pseudomonas savastanoi in all the assayed cultivars. The not inoculated wounds did not show the knot disease likely because the bacterium's inability to transmigrate from the inoculated wounds to the non-inoculated ones.

A review of the jumping plant-lice (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) of the Canary Islands, with descriptions of two new genera and sixteen new species.

The psyllid fauna of the Canary Islands is reviewed on the basis of recent field work on Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma Gran Canaria and Lanzarote, as well as the examination of material deposited in several collections. Two new genera and 16 new species are described: Drepanoza Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard gen. nov., Percyella Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard gen. nov., Agonoscena atlantica Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., A. sinuata Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Arytaina meridionalis Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Cacopsylla crenulatae Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., C. falcicauda Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Diaphorina gonzalezi Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Drepanoza canariensis Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., D. fruticulosi Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., D. molinai Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Euphyllura confusa Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Percyella benahorita Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., P. canari Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., P. gomerita Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., P. guanche Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov., Strophingia canariensis Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov. and S. paligera Bastin, Burckhardt & Ouvrard sp. nov. Arytaina insularis Loginova, 1976, stat. nov. is elevated from a subspecies of A. devia Loginova, 1976 to species rank. Five new combinations are proposed: Drepanoza fernandesi (Aguiar, 2001) comb. nov., D. lienhardi (Burckhardt, 1981) comb. nov., D. montanetana (Aguiar, 2001) comb. nov., D. pittospori (Aguiar, 2001) comb. nov. and Lauritrioza laurisilvae (Hodkinson, 1990) comb. nov., all transferred from Trioza. The hitherto unknown last-instar immatures are described for Megadicrania tecticeps Loginova, 1976, Cacopsylla atlantica (Loginova, 1976) and Lauritrioza laurisilvae (Hodkinson, 1990). We also report Agonoscena targionii (Lichtenstein, 1874) for the first time from the Canary Islands. Our review increases the number of known psyllid taxa from the Canary Islands to 24 genera and 62 species (one of which remains undescribed). Endemism, host plant relationships and biogeographic patterns are discussed. Keys for the identification of adults and immatures are provided, as well as information on host plants, distribution and predators.

A Further Contribution to the Aphid (Hemiptera:Aphidoidea) Fauna of Turkey Including a Description of a New Host Plant Associations and Colony Appearances

Aphids fascinated scientists due to their unique life cycles, being a one of the important agricultural pest worldwide, overcoming various applied control strategies and also relatively benefited from global climate change. The importance of aphid studies in developing countries like a Turkey requires additional attention because the effects of aphids on agricultural production. In this aspect, 3 genera, Anthemidaphis Tashev, 1967, Olegia Shaposhnikov, 1979; Pentalonia Coquerel, 1859 and 15 aphid species added to Turkey aphid fauna which are; Anthemidaphis oligommata Tashev 1967, Aphis (Aphis) coreopsidis (Thomas, 1878), Aphis (Aphis) narzikulovi Szelegiewicz, 1963, Aphis (Aphis) pseudeuphorbiae Hille Ris Lambers, 1948, Aphis (Aphis) picridis (Börner, 1950), Chaitophorus clarus Tseng &amp; Tao 1936, Chaitophorus parvus Hille Ris Lambers, 1935, Dysaphis (Pomaphis) gallica (Hille Ris Lambers, 1955), Melanaphis sorghi Theobald, 1904, Metopolophium (Metopolophium) festucae Theobald, 1917, Olegia ulmifoliae (Aoki, 1973), Schizaphis (Schizaphis) nigerrima (Hille Ris Lambers, 1931), Semiaphis heraclei (Takahashi, 1921), Semiaphis pastinacae Börner, 1950, Pentalonia nigronervosa Coquerel, 1859. Recorded species were evaluated for host plant relations, colony appearances, also ant attendance and new interactions observed. Number of the listed aphid species for Turkey aphid fauna increased to 631 with these new records.

In-depth study of tomato and weed viromes reveals undiscovered plant virus diversity in an agroecosystem

BackgroundIn agroecosystems, viruses are well known to influence crop health and some cause phytosanitary and economic problems, but their diversity in non-crop plants and role outside the disease perspective is less known. Extensive virome explorations that include both crop and diverse weed plants are therefore needed to better understand roles of viruses in agroecosystems. Such unbiased exploration is available through viromics, which could generate biological and ecological insights from immense high-throughput sequencing (HTS) data.ResultsHere, we implemented HTS-based viromics to explore viral diversity in tomatoes and weeds in farming areas at a nation-wide scale. We detected 125 viruses, including 79 novel species, wherein 65 were found exclusively in weeds. This spanned 21 higher-level plant virus taxa dominated by Potyviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Tombusviridae, and four non-plant virus families. We detected viruses of non-plant hosts and viroid-like sequences and demonstrated infectivity of a novel tobamovirus in plants of Solanaceae family. Diversities of predominant tomato viruses were variable, in some cases, comparable to that of global isolates of the same species. We phylogenetically classified novel viruses and showed links between a subgroup of phylogenetically related rhabdoviruses to their taxonomically related host plants. Ten classified viruses detected in tomatoes were also detected in weeds, which might indicate possible role of weeds as their reservoirs and that these viruses could be exchanged between the two compartments.ConclusionsWe showed that even in relatively well studied agroecosystems, such as tomato farms, a large part of very diverse plant viromes can still be unknown and is mostly present in understudied non-crop plants. The overlapping presence of viruses in tomatoes and weeds implicate possible presence of virus reservoir and possible exchange between the weed and crop compartments, which may influence weed management decisions. The observed variability and widespread presence of predominant tomato viruses and the infectivity of a novel tobamovirus in solanaceous plants, provided foundation for further investigation of virus disease dynamics and their effect on tomato health. The extensive insights we generated from such in-depth agroecosystem virome exploration will be valuable in anticipating possible emergences of plant virus diseases and would serve as baseline for further post-discovery characterization studies.5s1csuTeBEFLkorHCziRqaVideo

The Oleaceae-feeding lace bugs of the genus Perissonemia from Japan (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae)

The present study revises the taxonomy of the lace bug genus Perissonemia Drake &amp; Poor, 1937 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Tingidae: Tinginae) from Japan. Three species are recognized and (re)described: P. occasa Drake, 1942 from Honshu, P. okinawensis sp. nov. from the central part of the Ryukyu Islands, and P. yaeyamensis sp. nov. from the southern part of the Ryukyu Islands. Previous records of P. occasa from the central and southern parts of the Ryukyu Islands are confirmed as misidentifications of P. okinawensis sp. nov. and P. yaeyamensis sp. nov., respectively. The host plant relationships are discussed for P. occasa and P. yaeyamensis sp. nov. Photographs of living individuals of P. occasa and P. yaeyamensis sp. nov. are presented. A key is provided to facilitate the identification of the three species of Perissonemia distributed in Japan.

Integrative taxonomy of the Lauraceae-feeding species of the genus Stephanitis (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae) from Japan

Stephanitis Stål, 1873 (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Tingidae, Tinginae, Tingini) is one of the most diverse lace bug genera in East Asia with over 50 species, many of them feeding on Ericaceae and Lauraceae. The Japanese species feeding on Lauraceae have high intraspecific and poor interspecific variation, so identification of some previous distribution records (mainly S. (Norba) aperta Horváth, 1912 and closely related taxa) is doubtful. In the present study, 5,080 specimens of Lauraceae-feeding species of Stephanitis from Japan were identified to species based on morphology, and DNA barcodes of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit (COI) region for 53 of those individuals were also obtained. The combined morphological and molecular evidence dataset showed that 10 species of Stephanitis feed on lauraceous trees in Japan: S. (Stephanitis) ambigua Horváth, 1912, S. (Norba) aperta, S. (N.) exigua Horváth, 1912, S. (N.) hayashiisp. nov., S. (N.) hiurai Takeya, 1963, S. (N.) ishikawaisp. nov., S. (N.) mendica Horváth, 1912, S. (S.) tabidula Horváth, 1912, S. (S.) takeyai Drake &amp; Maa, 1955 and S. (S.) tomokuniisp. nov. Additionally, a new synonymy, S. (S.) fasciicarina Takeya, 1931, syn. nov. with S. (S.) tabidula, is proposed, a key for identifying the 10 species is provided and their distribution ranges and host plant relationships are presented.

A genome‐wide phylogeny and the diversification of genus Liriomyza (Diptera: Agromyzidae) inferred from anchored phylogenomics

AbstractThe genus Liriomyza Mik (Diptera: Agromyzidae) is a diverse and globally distributed group of acalyptrate flies. Phylogenetic relationships among Liriomyza species have remained incompletely investigated and have never been fully addressed using molecular data. Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus Liriomyza using various phylogenetic methods (maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and gene tree coalescence) on target‐capture‐based phylogenomic datasets (nucleotides and amino acids) obtained from anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE). We have recovered tree topologies that are nearly congruent across all data types and methods, and individual clade support is strong across all phylogenetic analyses. Moreover, defined morphological species groups and clades are well‐supported in our best estimates of the molecular phylogeny. Liriomyza violivora (Spencer) is a sister group to all remaining sampled Liriomyza species, and the well‐known polyphagous vegetable pests [L. huidobrensis (Blanchard), L. langei Frick, L. bryoniae. (Kaltenbach), L. trifolii (Burgess), L. sativae Blanchard, and L. brassicae (Riley)]. belong to multiple clades that are not particularly closely related on the trees. Often, closely related Liriomyza species feed on distantly related host plants. We reject the hypothesis that cophylogenetic processes between Liriomyza species and their host plants drive diversification in this genus. Instead, Liriomyza exhibits a widespread pattern of major host shifts across plant taxa. Our new phylogenetic estimate for Liriomyza species provides considerable new information on the evolution of host‐use patterns in this genus. In addition, it provides a framework for further study of the morphology, ecology, and diversification of these important flies.

Incorporation of Turkish Hyalopterus spp. into recent species reassessment based on their molecular and morphometric features.

The Hyalopterus group is a Mediterranean originated genus and Turkey is one of the important distribution pathways of the species belonging to this genus. Up to date, Hyalopterus amygdali (from host plant Prunus dulcis), Hyalopterus pruni (from Prunus domestica) and Hyalopterus arundiniformis (from Prunus armeniaca and Prunus persica) are species distinctively defined in Turkey. Samples of Hyalopterus were collected on P. dulcis, P. domestica, P. armeniaca, and P. persica from Afyonkarahisar, Ktahya, Nide and Uak provinces from May 2012 to October 2013. To detect morphological variations related with the preferred host plant and locality, 755 individuals morphological features were measured. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of COI (658 bp.) sequences of Hyalopterus spp were applied to evaluate phylogenetic relationships of the genus members. A median joining haplotype network was evaluated to determine the relationships among haplotypes. The molecular and morphometric analyses indicated that the host plant utilization affects the speciation of Hyalopterus spp. There are no comprehensive molecular studies about Hyalopterus in Turkey although previous studies conducted on this genus emphasized the importance of studying the Turkish populations to understand host plant relations, distribution route and speciation of this economically important aphid group. Therefore this study aimed to give information about phylogenetic and morphological variability of Hyalopterus spp. and criticize how these findings are incorporated into the recent species reassesment.

Complementary description of three species of Steneotarsonemus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) from rice agroecosystems of Eastern India with notes on their taxonomic status, spatial distribution, intraspecific variation and species composition.

Rice agroecosystems are inhabited by a number of Steneotarsonemus species worldwide with various host plant relationships and taxonomic identities. To clarify this situation, a large-scale survey was initiated in rice growing belts of eastern India and this revealed the presence of four species of Steneotarsonemus viz. S. furcatus, S. konoi, S. spinki and S. subfurcatus. However, only S. spinki and S. subfurcatus were found infesting rice while the other species were found associated with a number of graminaceous weeds. We found three intraspecific variants within the population of S. spinki which are differentially distributed in nine separate locations covering four states across eastern India. A new subgenus Linzhangia is proposed for inclusion of exceptionally unique S. subfurcatus possessing setaceous v2 on prodorsum of female. Additionally, the population of S. spinki and S. subfurcatus were found to be differentially distributed across five different agroclimatic zones of West Bengal with S. spinki being the dominant species.

Occurrence, Density, and Transcriptomic Response of the Leafhopper Erythroneura sudra (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) When Confronted With Different Fruit Tree Species.

The leafhopper, Erythroneura sudra (Distant) is becoming a dominant insect pest, and usually can cause significant damage to fruit production in northern China. We studied the occurrence and density of E. sudra on three fruit tree species and its transcriptomic responses when it was fed on leaves of these tree species. A higher density and survival rate of E. sudra were recorded when it fed on leaves of peach (Amygdalus persica L.) (Rosales: Rosaceae) and cherry (Cerasus pseudocerasus Lindl) (Rosales: Rosaceae) than on apple (Malus domestica Mill) (Rosales: Rosaceae). Also, feeding on M. domestica induced the largest variation in transcriptomic profiles in E. sudra. In total, 166 genes were differentially expressed (89 upregulated and 77 downregulated) in E. sudra when it fed on M. domestica, compared to when it fed on the other two tree species. The upregulated genes were mainly related to ‘response to oxidative stress’, ‘stress-resistance’, and ‘xenobiotic metabolic process’. The downregulated genes were mainly related to ‘structural constituent of cuticle’, ‘biosynthetic process’, and ‘development regulation’. These results suggested that M. domestica significantly changed the expression of many genes and consequently caused lower occurrence and density of E. sudra. Such information could enhance our understanding of the leafhopper–host plant relationship. Additionally, it can contribute to the improvement of current control strategies for this pest.

Phylogenetic approach for identification and life cycles of Puccinia (Pucciniaceae) species on Carex (Cyperaceae) from northeastern China

About 150 species of Puccinia on Carex (Cyperaceae) have been reported globally. However, these species can be difficult to identify due to similarities in morphology and difficulties in identifying the host plants. The presence of many cryptic species is also suspected. Based on about 130 specimens on Carex and about 40 related specimens of spermogonial and aecial stages, all collected in northeastern China, a phylogenetic approach was conducted to clarify their identification and life cycles. In the phylogenetic analyses, 17 clades among specimens on Carex were detected. Each clade was interpreted as an independent species, although many clades were morphologically similar to each other. After comparative morphology with species previously reported, seven species including three first records in China (P. circaeae-caricis, P. urticae-inflatae and P. vaginatae) were identified, while ten species (P. caricis-artemisiae, P. caricis-atractylodes, P. caricis-hebeiensis, P. caricis-jilinensis, P. caricis-lactucae, P. caricis-pediformis, P. caricis-rafaensis, P. caricis-ribicola, P. caricis-tenuiformis and P. caricis-violae) are described as new. In uredinial and telial stages, many host plant species could not be identified as they lacked an inflorescence. Thus, a phylogenetic approach is more suitable for species identifications of Puccinia on Carex rather than relying on rust morphology and host plant identification. Life cycle relations for 12 spermogonial and aecial species were also clarified using phylogenetic analyses. Furthermore, it is suspected that Puccinia species on Carex can be differentiated into species based on their spermogonial and aecial stages on the same or related host plants. Additionally, one new replacement name (P. caricis-aphanolepidis) for P. pulchella is proposed.

Phylogenetic approach for identification and life cycles of Puccinia (Pucciniaceae) species on Poaceae from northeastern China

About 300 species of Puccinia on Poaceae have been reported globally. However, these species can be difficult to identify because of morphological similarities and difficulties of host plant identifications. The presence of many cryptic species is also suspected. Based on about 150 specimens on Poaceae and about 50 related specimens of spermogonial and aecial stages, all collected in northeastern China, a phylogenetic approach was conducted to clarify their identification and life cycles. In phylogenetic analyses 25 clades among specimens on Poaceae were detected. Each clade detected in phylogeny was interpreted as an independent species, although many clades were morphologically similar to each other. After comparative morphology with species previously reported, 17 species including three first records in China (P. cerienthes-agropyrina, P. coronati-agrostidis, P. coronati-hordei) were identified, and eight species (P. ampliaticoronata, P. digitaticoronata, P. eleganticoronata, P. elymi-albispora, P. oncospora, P. pileiformis, P. protuberanticoronata, P. ramificatacoronata) are described as new. In uredinial and telial stages, the host range of above 25 species was variable ranging from one host plant species to several host species, sometimes involving different grass genera. Thus, a phylogenetic approach is more suitable for species identifications of Puccinia on Poaceae rather than relying on rust morphology and host plant identification. Life cycle relations for 15 spermogonial and aecial species were also clarified by phylogenetic analyses. It is also suspected that grass rusts can be differentiated to species based on spermogonial and aecial stages on same or related host plants.