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Four new yeasts in the Candida mesenterica clade associated with basidiocarp-feeding beetles

     Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

We isolated five yeasts related to Candida mesenterica from the digestive tract, frass, and habitat of beetles in six families inhabiting basidiocarps. Based on rDNA sequence comparisons and phenotypic characters, the yeasts were identified as Kodamaea ohmeri and four undescribed taxa. Phylogenetic analysis of combined small and large subunit ribosomal DNA sequences placed the five taxa in a statistically well supported clade with C. mesenterica, Candida suecica and other yeast species known from basidiocarps, including ‘Endomyces scopularum’ (CBS154.92 and 155.92), Candida fukazawae, Candida fungicola and Candida sagamina. Only one of the new taxa produced ascospores; the other three reproduced only asexually. The yeasts appear to be less closely associated with beetles than with the beetle habitat. The new species and their type strains are Kodamaea laetipori (type strain NRRL Y-27713 ^T), Candida derodonti (type strain NRRL Y-27711 ^T), Candida arcana (type strain NRRL Y-27712 ^T) and Candida plutei (type strain NRRL Y-27715 ^T).

Key words: diversification, molecular phylogeny, mycophagy, Saccharomycetes, symbiosis