Pilidiella crousii sp. nov. from the northern Western Ghats, India

The coelomycete genus Pilidiella (Schizoparmaceae, Diaporthales) was recently revised to include species with hyaline to pale brown conidia in contrast to the dark brown conidia of Coniella. The present paper describes a new species of Pilidiella, P. crousii, based on a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the ITS nrDNA and its unique conidial morphology. Pilidiella crousii is associated with severe fruit drop of Terminalia chebula (Combretaceae) in natural forests of Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats of India.