New records of anamorphic fungi (hyphomycetes) for the Neotropics and South America

Abstract

Floristic structure and climatic conditions of tropical rainforests characterize ecosystems where very diverse fungal populations proliferate. Amongst those, the Amazonia is recognized as the biggest existing tropical forest in the world. However, taxonomic studies on hyphomycetes fungi in this region are scarce. The objective of this work was to investigate the occurrence of conidial fungi (hyphomycetes) associated to the decomposition of dead parts of Euterpe oleracea Mart.(açaizeiro), Arecaceae. From August 2008 to April 2009 decaying parts of this palm tree were collected in the Combu Island, an Environmental Protection Area, at the city of Belém, Pará. As partial result of this study, two new records of Hyphomycetes for the Neotropics (Digitodesmiumrecurvum W. H. Ho, K. D. Hyde & Hodgkiss and Pithomyceskaroo Marasas & I. H. Schum.) and other new 10 fungal species records for South America were found. Taxonomic descriptions, commentaries, geographic distribution and illustrations for each new record are given.

açaí; Amazônia; diversity; mitosporic fungi; palm