Species of the genus Sugiyamaella (Trichomonascaceae, Saccharomycetales), found in rotting wood in China, were investigated using morphology and the molecular phylogeny of a combined ITS and nrLSU dataset. Nine taxa were collected in China: two were new species (viz. Sugiyamaella chuxiongsp. nov. and S. yunanensissp. nov.) and seven were known species, S. americana, S. ayubii, S. novakii, S. paludigena, S. valenteae, S. valdiviana and S. xiaguanensis. The two new species are illustrated and their morphology and phylogenetic relationships with other Sugiyamaella species are discussed. Our results indicate a potentially great diversity of Sugiyamaella spp. inhabiting rotting wood in China just waiting to be discovered.

Yamadazyma is one of the largest genera in the family Debaryomycetaceae (Saccharomycetales, Saccharomycetes) with species mainly found in rotting wood, insects and their resulting frass, but also recovered from flowers, leaves, fruits, tree bark, mushrooms, sea water, minerals, and the atmosphere. In the present study, several strains obtained from rotting wood in Henan and Yunnan Provinces of China were isolated. Based on morphology and a molecular phylogeny of the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (LSU) rDNA, these strains were identified as three new species: Yamadazyma luoyangensis, Y. ovata and Y. paraaseri; and three previously described species, Y. insectorum, Y. akitaensis, and Y. olivae. The three new species are illustrated and their morphology and phylogenetic relationships with other Yamadazyma species are discussed. Our results indicate a high undiscovered diversity of Yamadazyma spp. inhabiting rotting wood in China.

During a survey of yeasts associated with insects in Central China's natural ecosystems, 116 yeast strains were isolated from the gut of adult insects in two families and from one beetle larva. Among the yeasts isolated in this study, 102 strains were identified as 20 known species in the class Saccharomycetes. The remaining 14 strains were identified as representing five novel species in the Lodderomyces clade based on the combined sequences of the D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, as well as other taxonomic characteristics. Lodderomyces beijingensis sp. nov. (type strain CBS 14171T=CICC 33087T=NYNU 15764T) formed a clade with Lodderomyces elongisporus and Candida oxycetoniae. The other four novel species, namely Candida margitis sp. nov. (type strain CBS 14175T=CICC 33091T=NYNU 15857T), Candida xiaguanensis sp. nov. (type strain CBS 13923T=CICC 33056T=NYNU 1488T), Candida parachauliodis sp. nov. (type strain CBS 13928T=CICC 33058T=NYNU 14959T) and Candida coleopterorum sp. nov. (type strain CBS 14180T=CICC 33084T=NYNU 1582T), showed close relationships to the species near Candida parapsilosis, Candida sakaeoensis, Candida chauliodes and Candida corydalis. Descriptions of these novel yeast species are provided as well as discussions of their ecology in relation to their insect hosts.

Spathaspora is an important genus of d-xylose-fermenting yeasts that are poorly studied in China. During recent yeast collections in Yunnan Province in China, 13 isolates of Spathaspora were obtained from rotting wood and all represent undescribed taxa. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses (ITS and nuc 28S), five new species are proposed: Spathaspora elongata, Sp. mengyangensis, Sp. jiuxiensis, Sp. parajiuxiensis and Sp. rosae. Our results indicate a high species diversity of Spathaspora waiting to be discovered in rotting wood from tropical and subtropical southwest China. In addition, the two Candida species, C. jeffriesii and C. materiae, which are members of the Spathaspora clade based on phylogeny, are transferred to Spathaspora as new combinations.

The abundant variety of yeasts and their diverse applications have essential roles in traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage fermentation processes. During our investigation of yeast diversity associated with Pulque, 41 yeast strains were characterized. Among them, 31 strains were eight known species belonging to seven genera. According to morphological and phylogenetic analyses (ITS and LSU rDNA), ten unidentified yeast strains were identified to be three novel species and proposed: Starmerella elongatumsp. nov., Kazachstania paragamosporasp. nov. and Pichia teotihuacanensissp. nov. Our study has resulted in the isolation of yeast species not previously detected in Pulque, expanding our knowledge of the diversity of its associated yeast communities.

Two strains representing a novel yeast species were isolated from plant leaves collected in the Baotianman Nature Reserve in Henan Province, central China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the concatenated sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region (ITS1-5.8S–ITS2) and the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit rRNA gene revealed that the novel species belonged to the genus Hyphopichia, although the formation of ascospores was not observed. The novel species was related most closely to Hyphopichia paragotoi CBS 13913T but they differed by 0.9 % sequence divergence (five substitutions) in the D1/D2 domain and by 3.7 % sequence divergence (seven substitutions and eight gaps) in the ITS region. Furthermore, the novel species can also be differentiated from the closely related species in some biochemical and physiological characteristics. The species name of Hyphopichia xiaguanensis f.a., sp. nov. (Holotype CBS 16668, Mycobank MB 842425) is proposed to accommodate strains NYNU 20899T and NYNU 20914.