Spathaspora allomyrinae sp. nov., a d-xylose-fermenting yeast species isolated from a scarabeid beetle Allomyrina dichotoma.

During an investigation of yeasts associated with insects, three strains of a d-xylose-fermenting yeast species were isolated from the gut of the host beetles Allomyrina dichotoma (Coleoptera: Scarabeidae) collected on the Baotianman National Nature Reserve, Nanyan, Henan Province, China. These strains formed two elongated ascospores, which were tapered and curved at the ends in persistent asci. Sequence analyses of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit (LSU) and small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes showed that these new strains represent a phylogenetically distinct species in the Spathaspora clade. This novel species differed from the closest species, Candida lyxosophila NRRL Y-17539T, by a 6.7 % sequence divergence (31 substitutions and 7 gaps) in the D1/D2 LSU rRNA gene and a 1.2 % divergence (17 substitutions, 4 gaps) in the SSU rRNA gene. The novel species can also be distinguished from C. lyxosophila NRRL Y-17539T in terms of the ability to assimilate myo-inositol and to grow in the presence of 0.1 % cycloheximide, as well as the inability to assimilate citrate. The name Spathaspora allomyrinae sp. nov. is proposed for this species. The type strain is NYNU 1495T ( = CICC 33057T = CBS 13924T). The MycoBank number is MB 815071.