Neocosmospora perseae sp. nov., an agent of trunk cankers on avocado in Italy. Neocosmospora perseae sp. nov.

Trunk and branch cankers are among the most important diseases compromising the avocado production worldwide. A novel species, Neocosmospora perseae sp. nov. is described isolated from trunk lesions on Persea americana in the main avocado producing area of Sicily, Italy. The new species is characterised using a polyphasic approach including morphological characters and a multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the translation elongation factor-1α, the internal transcribed spacer regions plus the large subunit of the rDNA cistron, and the RNA polymerase II second largest subunit. Pathogenicity testing and the fulfillment of Koch’s postulates confirm this species as a novel canker agent in Persea americana.