Three new ascomycetous yeasts from insect-associated arboreal habitats

A new species of Pichia and two new species of Candida are described and we re determined to be genetically isolated from all other currently recognize d ascomycetous yeasts from their sequence divergence in the species-variabl e D1/D2 domain of large subunit (26S) ribosomal DNA. The three species were primarily isolated from the frass of wood-boring insects living in pine an d spruce trees. The new species and their type strains are the following: P ichia ramenticola NRRL YB-1985 (CBS 8699), mating type alpha (NRRL YB-3835, CBS 8700, mating type a), Candida piceae NRRL YB-2107 (CBS 8701), and Cand ida wyomingensis NRRL YB-2152 (CBS 8703). Pichia ramenticola and C. piceae assimilate methanol as a carbon source; P. ramenticola is the first known h eterothallic ascomycetous yeast to utilize this compound.