Pestalotiopsis thunbergii Q. C. Wang & X. D. Zhou 2025, sp. nov.

Pestalotiopsis thunbergii Q. C. Wang & X. D. Zhou sp. nov. Fig. 13 Etymology. Named after the host, Pinus thunbergii. Typus. CHINA • Shandong Province, Qingdao City, Jimo District, Tianheng Island Resort, 36°25'2"N, 120°51'37"E, on diseased needle of Pinus thunbergii, 9 August 2023, Quanchao Wang, Guoqing Li, Feifei Liu & Runlei Chang (holotype designated here HMAS 353938, dried culture prepared from ZXD 583; ex-holotype culture ZXD 583 = CFCC 72589). Description. Sexual state not seen. Conidiomata in culture sporodochial, saucer-shaped, scattered or gregarious, superficial to immersed, shining, releasing black conidial masses on the surface. Conidiophores branched, subcylindrical, hyaline to light brown, indistinct, often reduced to conidiogenous cells. Conidiogenous cells cylindrical or ampulliform, hyaline, smooth-walled, solitary to aggregated, (4.5 –) 5.5–10.5 (– 15) × (1.5 –) 2–3 (– 3.5) μm (x ± SD = 8 ± 2.4 × 2.5 ± 0.6 μm). Conidia fusoid, ellipsoid, smooth, slightly constricted at the septa, 4 - septate, (20 –) 23–27.5 (– 34) × (6 –) 6.5–8 (– 10) μm (x ± SD = 25.1 ± 2.3 × 7.3 ± 0.9 μm); three median cells doliiform, wall verruculose, concolourous, (13.5 –) 15.5–17.5 (– 19) μm (x ± SD = 16.4 ± 1 μm) long; second cell from the base (4.5 –) 5–6 (– 6.5) μm (x ± SD = 5.7 ± 0.5 μm) long; third cell (4.5 –) 5–6 (– 6.5) μm (x ± SD = 5.4 ± 0.5 μm); fourth cell (3.5 –) 4.5–6 (– 6.5) μm (x ± SD = 5.3 ± 0.7 μm); apical cell conic with an acute apex, thin- and smooth-walled, hyaline to pale brown, (1 –) 2.5–4.5 (– 5) μm (x ± SD = 3.5 ± 1.1 μm) long, with 2–4 tubular appendages (mostly three); apical appendages arising from an apical crest, unbranched, filiform, bent, (6.5 –) 12–21.5 (– 29.5) μm (x ± SD = 16.8 ± 4.7 μm); basal cell obconic with a truncate base, thin-walled, hyaline or pale brown, (2.5 –) 3.5–6 (– 8.5) μm (x ± SD = 4.7 ± 1.2 μm) long, with one appendage; basal appendage tubular, centric, unbranched, occasionally swollen at the tip, (3.5 –) 4.5–6.5 (– 8) μm (x ± SD = 5.4 ± 1.1 μm) long. Culture characteristics. Colonies forming abundant flocculent aerial mycelium at the edges on PDA at 25 ° C, with regular margins, white, the centre of the back of the colony orange, forming black conidiomata with black conidial masses. Optimal growth temperature at 25 ° C, no growth at 5 ° C and 35 ° C; after 10 d, colonies at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 ° C reached 35.1, 41.5, 81.4, 87.8 and 29.4 mm, respectively (Fig. 8). Additional materials examined. CHINA • Zhejiang Province, Jiaxing City, Pinghu County, Jiulongshan Forest Park, 30°36'10"N, 121°08'27"E, on diseased needle of Pinus massoniana, 15 May 2023, Quanchao Wang, Guiyong Cao (culture ZXD 204); • Shandong Province, Qingdao City, Jimo District, 36°25'2"N, 120°51'37"E, on diseased needle of Pinus thunbergii, 9 August 2023, Quanchao Wang, Guoqing Li, Feifei Liu & Runlei Chang (cultures ZXD 524, ZXD 527, ZXD 531, ZXD 548, ZXD 558, ZXD 566, ZXD 568, ZXD 569, ZXD 575, ZXD 576, ZXD 581). Notes. Pestalotiopsis thunbergii formed a well-supported independent clade (ML / BI = 100 / 1) from Pes. ningboensis (Fig. 3). The differences between Pes. thunbergii and Pes. ningboensis have been mentioned above (see Pes. ningboensis).