Study and Conservation of the Biodiversity

Project location: Ecuador
Project start date: July 2006 - Project end date: July 2008
Project number: 2006-13
Beneficiary: University of L'Aquila

Time line of the present activity report: from June 2009 to May 2010

During 2009 the study of the abundant material collected during previous yeas was carried on. This study resulted in the publication of two scientific papers written in the previous year and in completing a further paper, sent to the international journal "Mycological Progress". The title of the latter, in which 9 new species are described, is "New Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota) parasitic on Staphylinidae from Ecuador".

From July 21st to August 13th a new journey to Ecuador was carried out, in order to collect more material and for training another student after the graduation in Biology of Carolina Proano Castro. During the journey three provinces were visited: Pastaza, around Puyo, tropical forests and the protected area "Pinto-Mirador"; Napo, Rio Guango, near Papallacta; Cotopaxi, Bosque integral Otonga.
Preliminary scrutiny of the collected material made it possible to identify more new species among insects and their parasitic fungi.
During the first months of 2010 the paper sent to "Mycological Progress" mentioned above was published. Furthermore, one more paper was sent for publication to the journal "Mycologia". The title of this paper is "New species of Laboulbenia from Ecuador, with evidence for "host switch" events in the Laboulbeniales". The paper is important not only because of the description of 10 new species, but also for drawing attention on the phenomenon of "host switch" in the Laboulbeniales.