Occurrence of Verticicladiella wagenerii and Its Perfect State, Ceratocystis wageneri sp. nov., in Insect Galleries

Abstract

Except for reports that V. wagenerii can spread from tree to tree across root grafts and contacts, virtually no information is available on means of spread or inoculum production by the pathogen. Roots of 126 ponderosa pines [Pinus ponderosa] located in infection foci were excavated and examined for evidence of insect activity and fungus sporulation. Conidiophores of V. wagenerii were found for the 1st time in 1 gallery each of a buprestid, a cerambycid and an unidentified insect, in 2 galleries of Dendroctonus valens and in 96 Hylastes macer galleries. The perfect state of V. wagenerii, described as C. wageneri sp. nov., was found in 19 H. macer galleries. Evidence points to H. macer as a vector of the fungus.