Mycologia Iranica 2(2): 119 – 126, 2015 Submitted 21 Sept. 2015, accepted for Publication 29 Nov. 2015  Corresponding Author: E-mail: khodaparast@guilan.ac.ir © 2015, Published by the Iranian Mycological Society http://mi.iranjournals.ir Original Article Fungi associated with apple and pear sooty blotch and flyspeck diseases in Guilan province, Iran A. Heidari S. A. Khodaparast  S. Mousanejad Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran Abstract: Sooty blotch and flyspeck occur on fruit surfaces and result in economic losses due to less attractive appearance. Sooty blotch fungi form dark mycelial mats whereas flyspeck fungal agents are well characterized with black, sclerotium-like bodies on fruit surface. Whilst more than 60 species have been reported in association with these two fungal diseases, thus far they have not been studied in Iran. In this study specimens showing the symptoms related to sooty blotch and flyspeck were collected from different regions of Guilan province during 2012-14. Morphological characteristics and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA were generated for the isolates and compared to describe species. In this study Microcyclosporella mali, Zasmidium sp. and Zygophiala jamaicensis were identified based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Microcyclosporella mali and Zygophiala jamaicensis are described and illustrated for the first time from Iran. Key words: Biodiversity, Microcyclosporella, Zasmidium, Zygophiala. INTRODUCTION Sooty blotch and flyspeck (SBFS) are complex diseases caused by diverse fungi which grow superficially and colonize fruit, stem, twig and leaf surfaces of a wide range of cultivated and non- cultivated crops such as apple, pear, and banana, however, most research has focused on apple (Gleason et al. 2011). Due to production of pigmented hyphae and sclerotium-like bodies, infected fruits are blemished and often resulting in downgrading of crops and marketing value especially in humid regions. Sooty blotch and fly speck fungi usually appear together and encompass at least 60 putative species (Gleason et al. 2011; Li et al. 2011). Most of these species belong to diverse anamorphic genera of Dothideomycetes including Colletogloeopsis-like fungi, Devriesia, Diatractium- like fungi, Dissoconium, Geastrumia, Houjia, Leptodontidium, Microcyclosporella, Microcyclospora, Passalora-like fungi, Peltaster, Phaeothecoidiella, Phialophora, Pseudocercospora, Ramichloridium, Ramularia, Schizothyrium, Scleroramularia, Scolecobasidium, Sporidesmajora, Stomiopeltis, Strelitziana, Uwebraunia, Zasmidium, Zygophiala, (Batzer et al. 2005; Frank et al. 2010; Gao et al. 2014; Gleason et al. 2011; Ivanović et al. 2010; Kwon et al. 2012; Li et al. 2011, 2012; Mirzwa-Mróz 2008; Sun et al. 2008; Yang et al. 2010). Because of epiphytic habitat, isolation of these fungi on pure culture is the first challenge for morphological, biological and molecular studies. This is because surface disinfection of the fruit will remove the fungi. Moreover, slow growth, sparsely or no sporulations on agar media or fruits make the study of these fungi more complicated. However, during recent years several researchers deal with these fungi and have overcome these problems, hence, publications concerning these fungi have been increased. There are no comprehensive studies related to these fungi in Iran. According to literature there is only one report of Schizothyrium pomi on Malus pumila from Iran (Ershad 2009). The goal of this study was to identify fungi associated to SBFS in Guilan province, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fungal isolation In this study, specimens showing the sooty blotch and flyspeck symptoms (Fig. 1) were collected from different regions of Guilan province during July to October 2012–14 and transferred to the laboratory of the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Guilan. For fungal isolation, infected fruits were rinsed for 30 min in tap water and vegetative structures of accompanying fungi were transferred from colonies on the fruit surface to PDA, MEA 2%, SNA and OA and incubated at 25 °C in darkness (Sun et al. 2003; Yang et al. 2010). All isolates were deposited in the Iranian Fungal Culture Collection (IRAN…C) of the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection. Morphological studies To examine morphology, fungal material mounted in a solution consisting of equal amounts of glycerol and lactic acid, lactic acid (50 %) or cotton blue-lactic