Melampsoridium hiratsukanum – invasive rust species in Lithuania, and its co-occurrence with eriophylid mite

Abstract

An invasive East Asian rust fungus Melampsoridium hiratsukanum, obligate biotroph belonging to Pucciniastraceae, Pucciniales (Basidiomycota) is found widely spread on leaves of Alnus incana in eastern, central and southern parts of Lithuania. On Alnus glutinosa this fungus is rare, sometimes occurring with an alder leaf pest, a microscopic eriophyid gall mite Acalitus brevitarsus. Information on the distribution patterns, ecological and morphological characters of this neomycete is given.

New records of the invasive fungus Melampsoridium hiratsukanum (Pucciniales) in Ukraine

“…Most records of M. hiratsukanum in Europe are reported on A. incana. On A. glutinosa this fungus occurs much less frequently; moreover, in many cases it was recorded on seedlings (Piątek et al, 2001), in forest nursery (Szabo, 2002), or in close proximity to infected plants of A. incana (Müller, 2003Markovskaja, 2013. In Germany it was collected on Duschekia alnobetula (Ehrh.)…”

“…For the first time in Europe, an East Asian rust fungus Melampsoridium hiratsukanum S. Ito ex Hirats. f. was noted in 1996 on Alnus incana (L.) Moench in Estonia (Põldmaa, 1997) and Latvia (Hantula, Scholler, 2013); the following year it was found in Finland (Kurkela et al, 1998(Kurkela et al, , 1999Hantula et al, 2009;Lilja et al 2011) and Lithuania (Markovskaja, 2013). Subsequently, as a typical invasive species, it has been rapidly spreading to the west and south.…”

Alien fungi in Lithuania: list of species, current status and trophic structure

“…was recorded at the beginning of the 20 th century (Table 1) and since has become widespread all over the country (dabkevičius et al, 2006). dutch elm disease caused (MaRkoVskaJa et al, 2011;pLiūra et al, 2011;MaRkoVskaJa, 2013;Lygis et al, 2014).…”