Additions to Didymosphaeriaceae: two novel species of Chromolaenicola crataegicola and Paraphaeosphaeria fulva with notes on antibacterial and antifungal activities

Didymosphaeriaceae is an important family within Pleosporales, widely distributed globally as saprophytes, pathogens and endophytes on plants, possessing potential for agricultural and medicinal applications. Due to the environmental risks posed by chemical pesticides, plant-associated microorganisms have become an important resource for developing eco-friendly biopesticides. During a study of Didymosphaeriaceae fungi with woody litter from northeast China, decaying wood tissue samples were collected and examined.

Through morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis (ITS, SSU, LSU, tef 1 - α and rpb 2), we described two novel species, Chromolaenicola crataegicola and Paraphaeosphaeria fulva and preliminarily assessed the antibacterial and antifungal activities of their secondary metabolites. This research further enriches the diversity of plant-associated ascomycetes in northeast China and highlights their potential strains for the development of biopesticides.