First data about fungicolous fungus Letendraea helminthicola (Berk. et Broome) Weese ex Petch in Ukraine

Abstract

The article provides information an about a worldwide rare species of fungicolous fungi Letendraea helminthicola (Berk. et Broome) Weese ex Petch, recently found by the author on the territory of the National Nature Park “Skolivsky Beskydy” (Skole area, Lviv region, Carpathians, Ukraine). This fungus sporulates on the conidiomata of Helminthosporium spp., mainly H. velutinum Link on the branches of trees. Until now, Letendraea representatives have not been recorded on the territory of Ukraine. General characte­ristics of the genus, a brief historical sketch of its research and modern views of its systematic position in Ascomycota system (Didymosphaeriaceae Munk sensu Ariyawansa et al., Pleosporales Luttr. ex M.E. Barr, Dothideomycetes O.E. Erikss. et Winka) are presented. In this study, besides our own sample of Letendraea helminthicola, we investigated the isotype of this species from scientific herbarium of the Department of Mycology and Plant Resistance of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Complete nomenclature characteristics, the detailed description, original illustrations, as well as the information about the ecological features of this species and its distribution in the world are presented.

Keywords

• Letendraea helminthicola
• distribution
• mycoparasitism
• NNP “Skolivs­ky Beskydy”
• Carpathians