A new species, Colletotrichum menglaense, isolated from air in Mengla, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, China, was characterized and described combining morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analysis. Morphologically, it is characterized by oblong, sometimes slightly constricted, micro-guttulate conidia and simple obovoid to ellipsoidal appressoria. Phylogenetic analysis of the ITS, ACT, CHS, and GAPDH sequences showed that C. menglaense belongs to the C. gloeosporioides complex. The pathogenicity of C. menglaense on fruits of several crop plants, including strawberry, orange, grape, tomato, and blueberry, was tested and confirmed by the re-isolation of C. menglaense.
Keywords: Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex; airborne fungi; coelomycetes; pathogenicity; taxonomy.