Diversity of Absidia Species Isolated from Freshwater Environments in Korea

The genus Absidia was assigned to the phylum Mucoromycota, order Mucorales and family Cunninghamellaceae. Members of the genus Absidia are characterized by forming sporangiophores singly or in whorls. Species of Absidia are commonly isolated from soil, feces, insect and leaf litter. So far, 40 Absidia species have been recognized. Only five species have been well described in Korea. During an investigation of the fungal diversity in the genus Absidia, eight isolates of Absidia were obtained from freshwater environments. The isolates were identified at the species level based on phylogenetic analyses of ITS and LSU rDNA sequences, as well as morphological and physiological characters. Results from these analyses revealed three novel taxa and one new record in Korea. Herein, detailed descriptions, illustrations and phylogenetic trees are provided.