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Twenty-nine new host records of powdery mildew fungi (Erysiphaceae) in Taiwan with an updated checklist

Summary

Researchers updated Taiwan’s list of powdery mildew fungi, which are harmful plant pathogens affecting crops and trees worldwide. By collecting specimens from various locations and analyzing them using genetic sequencing and microscopy, they identified 29 new host-fungus combinations, with six Erysiphaceae species documented in Taiwan for the first time. The updated checklist now includes approximately 109 powdery mildew species known to affect 246 different host plant species across 75 plant families in Taiwan.

Background

Powdery mildews (Erysiphaceae) are economically important plant pathogenic fungi causing significant losses to forest, fruit, and agricultural crops worldwide, including Taiwan. The last comprehensive checklist of Erysiphaceae in Taiwan was published 25 years ago without updates, and taxonomic concepts have since evolved with many new fungus and host records documented.

Objective

To update the checklist of Erysiphaceae in Taiwan by applying new taxonomical concepts and adding recent host records. The study incorporates own collections and applies modern identification methods including ITS sequences and anamorphic morphology to identify powdery mildew species.

Results

The updated checklist includes 13 species of Erysiphaceae on 28 host plant species, with approximately 109 powdery mildew species now documented for Taiwan affecting 246 host species across 75 families. Twelve collections represented new host records worldwide, and seventeen were new records for Taiwan, with six Erysiphaceae species found in Taiwan for the first time.

Conclusion

The updated checklist provides an important taxonomic and biogeographical basis for managing powdery mildew pathogens in Taiwan. Results reveal that host spectra of these pathogens remain incompletely known worldwide, and morphological characteristics combined with ITS sequences are useful for species identification, though some closely related species cannot be distinguished by sequence data alone.
  • Published in:Botanical Studies,
  • Study Type:Taxonomic Survey and Checklist Update,
  • Source: 10.1186/s40529-025-00471-1, PMID: 40850960
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