Strawberry Fruit Rot Caused by Neopestalotiopsis iranensis sp nov., and N. mesopotamica

A new species of Neopestalotiopsis based on both morphological and molecular characteristics is described. Neopestalotiopsis iranensis sp. nov. isolated from rotted strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) fruits as well as from stolon and leaf lesions in Kurdistan province, Iran. Initially, light tan and sunken spots developed on fruits and resulted in a soft decay of the fruit flesh. The new species is morphologically distinguished from similar species with different conidium size and by possessing longer apical appendages, as well as some knobbed basal appendages. Phylogenetic analyses (Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses) based on internal transcribed spacer, beta-tubulin, and partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha combined gene sequences also indicated that this species is phylogenetically distinct from others. Moreover, strawberry crop is introduced here as a new host for N. mesopotamica.