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Improving determinations tools in Aspergillus
Xylariaceous symbionts of the Xiphydria woodwasps living in broad-leaved trees
Siricid woodwasps (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) are wood-borers acting as secondary and mostly minor pests in their native forests, but becoming aggressive and damaging after their introduction to the new areas. Similarly to other wood-borers, woodwasps live in obligatory nutritional symbiosis with fungi, which are themselves of economic importance as wood-destroyers. The most intensively studied Sirex wood wasp live in symbiosis with basidiomycetes and attacts conifers. Recently the big increase of abundance of other wood was species Xiphydria was observed. We characterised for the first time diversity, host specificity and taxonomy of their fungal symbionts from the genus Daldinia and Hypoxylon (Ascomycota).
Floodplain forest with death alder trees (Alnus glutinosa) infected by Xiphydria camelus. The adult female of Xiphydria is shown on the right.
