Neopestalotiopsis litseae Z. A. Heng & J. Z. Qiu 2025, sp. nov.

Neopestalotiopsis litseae Z. A. Heng & J. Z. Qiu sp. nov. Fig. 3 Type. China • Fujian Province: Zhangzhou City, 24°30'36"N, 117°39'0"E, on diseased leaves of Litsea verticillata, September 2023, Z. A. Heng, holotype HMAS 353367; ex-holotype culture CGMCC 3.28543. China • Fujian Province: Zhangzhou City, 24°30'36"N, 117°39'0"E, on diseased leaves of Litsea verticillata, September 2023, Z. A. Heng, paratype HMAS 353368; ex-paratype culture CGMCC 3.28544. Etymology. Referring to the host genus from which it was isolated, Litsea verticillata. Diagnosis. Asexual morph on PDA: Conidiomata spherical or hemispherical submerged on PDA, black conidiophores hyaline, rugose and thin-walled, often reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidia columnar, straight or slightly curved, 19.2–27.7 × 4.6–6.8 μm (mean = 23.4 × 5.8 μm); 4 – septate, basal cells obconic to narrowly obconic, 3.2–5.7 μm (mean = 4.0 μm) long, hyaline, thin- and smooth-walled; the three intermediate cells columnar, versicoloured, septa darker than the rest of cells, 12.2–17.2 μm (mean = 15.2 μm) long; the second cell from the base light brown, 3.2–5.9 μm (mean = 4.7 μm) long; the third and fourth cells are dark brown; the third cell 4.3–6.4 μm (mean = 5.1 μm) long; the fourth cell 4.1–6.5 μm (mean = 4.9 μm) long; apical cell hyaline, conical or sub cylindrical, 2–5 μm (mean = 4 μm); with 2–3 tubular apical appendages (mostly 3) arising at different parts of the apical cell, unbranched, filiform, flexuous, 9.3–42.6 μm (mean = 22 μm) long; basal appendages single, tubular, unbranched, 3.2–8.8 μm (mean = 5.9 μm) long. Sexual morph: Unknown. Cultivation characteristics. Colonies on PDA were nearly circular, grew rapidly, reaching 71–74.5 mm diam. after 7 d at 25 ° C; colony initially white, becoming grey-white or pale yellow after 14 days, conidiomata scarce, scattered, black, reverse side of the colony, faint yellow. Notes. Two isolates corresponding to Neopestalotiopsis litseae (CGMCC 3.28543 and CGMCC 3.28544) formed a distinct branch to Neo. machili (CGMCC 3.23477 and LC 15848) with 97 % ML / 0.96 BYPP statistical support (Fig. 1). Neopestalotiopsis litseae (CGMCC 3.28543) is closely related to Neo. machili (CGMCC 3.23477) and comparisons of the nucleotide sequences examined showed 19 bp differences in three loci (3 bp for ITS and 16 bp for tef 1, including four gaps). Neo. litseae is morphologically distinct from Neo. machili with narrower conidia 4.6–6.8 μm vs. 7–8.5 μm (Razaghi et al. 2024).