Botryosphaeriaceae diversity on Eucalyptus clones in different climate zones of Indonesia

The Botryosphaeriaceae is an important and diverse family of latent fungal pathogens of woody plants, including Eucalyptus. These fungi live within infected plant tissues for extended periods without causing symptoms, but emerge to cause severe disease when their hosts are subjected to stress. In this study, we compared the diversity of the Botryosphaeriaceae in samples from nine different Eucalyptus clones growing in North and Central Sumatra, Indonesia, having distinct climates. Samples were taken from asymptomatic trees as well as those damaged by a sucking insect (Helopeltis sp.: Miridae), a stem boring moth (Polyphagozerra coffeae: Cossidae) and a Eucalyptus scab and shoot malformation fungal disease caused by Elsinoe necatrix. In total, 215 Botryosphaeriaceae isolates were obtained from which 13 species were identified based on rDNA-ITS, TEF-1 alpha, beta-tubulin and rpb2 sequence data. These species included seven Lasiodiplodia species, four Neofusicoccum species as well as Endomelanconiopsis endophytica and Cophinforma atrovirens. A new species of Lasiodiplodia arose from collections and for which the name L. riauensis is provided. Two species, L. theobromae and L. brasiliensis, were found in both climatic zones, whereas other species were specific to the areas from which they were collected. No correlation was found between the Botryosphaeriaceae species diversity and damage to trees caused by insects or E. necatrix disease.