Ambrosia FUNGUS Taxonomy
This flow graph shows the relatively complex and intertwined taxonomic history of Raffalea and Ambrosiella and their related ambrosial genera.
All currently valid ambrosia fungi
Accurate, to the best of my ability, as of March 2024. For now this is just a simple list. In future, I'd like to add more information and linked references for the taxa.
ORDER OPHIOSTOMATALES
Family Ophiostomataceae
The current best treatment of this group is:
de Beer ZW, Procter M, Wingfield MJ, Marincowitz S, Duong TA, 2022. Generic boundaries in the Ophiostomatales reconsidered and revised. Studies in Mycology 101:57-120.
Afroraffaelea (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
1 species
Afroraffaelea ambrosiae
Dryadomyces (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
5 species
Dryadomyces amasae <- type species
Dryadomyces montetyi
Dryadomyces quercivora
Dryadomyces quercus-mongolicae
Dryadomyces sulphurea
Harringtonia (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
7 species
Harringtonia aguacate
Harringtonia ambrosioides
Harringtonia arthroconidialis
Harringtonia brunnea
Harringtonia chlamydospora
Harringtonia lauricola <- type species
Harringtonia sporodochialis
Raffaelea (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
21 species
Raffaelea albimanens
Raffaelea ambrosiae <- type species
Raffaelea arxii
Raffaelea borbonica
Raffaelea campbelliorum
Raffaelea canadensis
Raffaelea crossotarsi
Raffaelea cyclorhipidii
Raffaelea ellipticospora
Raffaelea fusca
Raffaelea gnathotrichi
Raffaelea promiscua
Raffaelea rapaneae
Raffaelea santoroi
Raffaelea scolytodis
Raffaelea seticollis
Raffaelea subalba
Raffaelea subfusca
Raffaelea sulcati
Raffaelea tritirachium
Raffaelea xyleborini
Excluded Raffaelea species (de Beer et al. 2022) that have not yet been formally treated in another genus
Raffaelea deltoideospora
Raffaelea vaginata
ORDER MICROASCALES
Family Ceratocystidaceae
The current best treatment of this group is:
Mayers CG, Harrington TC, Masuya H, Jordal BH, McNew DL, Shih HH, Roets F, Kietzka GJ, 2020. Patterns of coevolution between ambrosia beetle mycangia and the Ceratocystidaceae, with five new fungal genera and seven new species. Persoonia 44:41-66.
Ambrosiella (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
10 species
Ambrosiella batrae
Ambrosiella beaveri
Ambrosiella catenulata
Ambrosiella cleistominuta
Ambrosiella grosmanniae
Ambrosiella hartigii
Ambrosiella nakashimae
Ambrosiella remansi
Ambrosiella roeperi
Ambrosiella xylebori <- type species
Meredithiella (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
3 species
Meredithiella fracta
Meredithiella guianensis
Meredithiella norrisii <- type species
Phialophoropsis (whole genus ambrosia fungi)
5 species
Phialophoropsis ferruginea
Phialophoropsis hubbardii
Phialophoropsis leachii
Phialophoropsis nunbergii
Phialophoropsis trypodendri <- type species
Toshionella (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
3 species
Toshionella nipponensis <- type species
Toshionella taiwanensis
Toshionella transmara
Wolfgangiella (whole genus is ambrosia fungi)
2 species
Wolfgangiella franznegeri <- type species
Wolfgangiella madagascarensis
OTHER ORDERS
Ambrosia Fusarium Clade (AFC)
Fusarium is a huge genus with hundreds of species. One specific clade within “clade 3” of the Fusarium solani part of the genus is called the “ambrosia Fusarium clade” or AFC. The AFC are true ambrosia fungi. Keep in mind that non-ambrosial Fusarium species are common surface associates of bark and ambrosia beetles, and also often misidentified as ambrosia mutualists, so be very careful especially with old literature.
There is no comprehensive treatment on the species. There are technically 19 recognized species that were originally given temporary “AF” designations, but only 11 have been named so far. It’s common to still use the AF numbers even with the named species, and they’re used below.
The foundational study for this group is:
Kasson MT, O’Donnell K, Rooney AP, Sink S, Ploetz RC, Ploetz JN, Konkol JL, Carrillo D, Freeman S, Mendel Z, Smith JA, 2013. An inordinate fondness for Fusarium: phylogenetic diversity of fusaria cultivated by ambrosia beetles in the genus Euwallacea on avocado and other plant hosts. Fungal Genetics and Biology 56:147-57.
11 named species
Fusarium ambrosiae (AF-1)
Fusarium euwallaceae (AF-2)
Fusarium floridanum (AF-3)
Fusarium oligoseptatum (AF-4)
Fusarium tuaranense (AF-5)
AF-6
Fusarium obliquiseptatum (AF-7)
Fusarium duplospermum (AF-8)
AF-9
Fusarium drepaniforme (AF-10)
Fusarium papillatum (AF-11)
Fusarium kuroshium (AF-12)
AF-13
AF-14
AF-15
AF-16
AF-17
AF-18
Fusarium rekanum (AF-19)
Geosmithia
Geosmithia is mostly a genus of air-dispersed fungi that are very common in wood and growing on the surface of insects. Three species seem to be good candidates for being ambrosia fungi.
3 species
Geosmithia cnesini
Geosmithia microcorthyli
Geosmithia eupagioceri
Irpex subulatus
Irpex is mostly a genus of wood decay basidiomycetes that make resupinate (crust) basidiocarps on wood.
A single species is farmed as an ambrosia fungus by punky wood borer beetles. It was originally called Flavodon ambrosius in recognition of this, but was later found to have already been named a long time ago, so was returned to that original name: F. subulatus. It was later transferred to Irpex. It’s the only known basidiomycete ambrosia fungus.
Diatrypella japonica
Diatrypella is mostly a genus of tree pathogens that make surface cankers with perithecia. This species alone seems to be a domesticated ambrosia fungus, very recently discovered.
Kaarikia abrahamsonii
The only species in its genus, and not particularly closely related to any other known fungus. Farmed as an ambrosia fungus by a single species, where it’s carried (in separate mycangia) alongside a Raffaelea ambrosia fungus. Hypothesized to be a “living fossil” of ancient ambrosia fungi that are otherwise extinct.