OPHIOSTOMATOID FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPRUCE BARK BEETLE IPS-TYPOGRAPHUS F APONICUS IN JAPAN

Fungi were isolated from the beetles, Ips typographus f. japonicus and Yezo spruce (Picea jezoensis) trees infested with the beetles in Hokk aido, Japan. Nine species of ophiostomatoid fungi including one new sp ecies were identified. They were Ceratocystiopsis minuta, Ceratocystis polonica, Ophiostoma ainoae, O. bicolor, O. cucullatum, O. europhioid es, O. penicillatum, O. piceae, and a new species described here as O. japonicum. Based on frequencies of occurrence, O. ainoae, O. bicolor, O. penicillatum, and O. piceae were regarded as dominant associates o f I. typographus japonicus, and C. minuta, C. polonica, O. europhinoid es, and O. japonicum were subdominant. The species of ophiostomatoid f ungi associated with I. typographus japonicus in Japan are almost iden tical to those associated with I. typographus infesting Norway spruce (P. abies) in Europe. This study improves our knowledge of the biogeog raphy of the ophiostomatoid fungi and the insects with which they are associated.