Absidia urquhartii (Mucoromycota) is a new species that is prevalent in Victoria, Australia

A new species, Absidia urquhartii, was identified from four locations across Victoria, Australia, and is described. The species is related to a species commonly found around the world; A. glauca, but is a distinct species based on phylogenies derived from DNA sequences, the morphology of its zygospores and its reproductive isolation from A. glauca. The genome of the extype strain was sequenced using Illumina short read technology. Starting from the genome sequence, the mating type locus was characterised from strains of (+) and (-) mating types, which is consistent with a heterothallic mode of reproduction established from crosses between strains.