Eight Species, Including a Novel Species, Are Associated With Areca Palm Anthracnose in Hainan, China

Genus is one of the most important genera of plant-pathogenic fungi affecting numerous species, particularly tropical and subtropical crops and fruit trees. In this study, 43 strains were isolated from areca palm leaves with anthracnose symptoms in 11 areca palm plantations in eight counties of Hainan, China. Based on the morphology, phylogenetic analysis of six loci (internal transcribed spacer, actin, chitin synthase 1, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, β-tubulin, and mating type locus MAT1-2), and pathogenicity tests, eight species were distinguished, comprising five previously known species (, , , , and ), one unidentified species, a new species () in the gloeosporioides species complex, and in the boninense species complex. was the most common species found in areca palm in Hainan, followed by . Pathogenicity tests showed that all eight species could cause anthracnose symptoms on areca palm leaves using a wound inoculation method and that the isolates from the gloeosporioides species complex caused larger lesions than the isolates from the boninense species complex. Further research is needed to understand the epidemiology of these pathogenic species on areca palm in order to develop management strategies.