First record for Russia of Cadophora qinghaitibetana (Ascomycota) from the Caucasus

Cadophora qinghaitibetana is isolated from soil near glacier at the mountains of the Caucasus (Tsei Gorge, the Main Caucasus Range, Republic of North Ossetia – Alania). Macro- and micromorphology of the isolate along with partial sequences of the internal transcribed spacer of rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) are studied. The observed micro- and macromorphology of isolate NN-22 from Tsei Gorge corresponds to the micro- and macromorphology of C. qinghaitibetana from soils and melt water from the Yulong and Baima Mountains located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, i. e., Tibetan Plateau (China), but the maximum growth temperature is higher. As a result of our study, we detected C. qinghaitibetana in the Caucasus and Russia for the first time. Our study shows that C. qinghaitibetana is a species found in both the Tibetan Plateau and the Caucasian mountains.