Phytophthora stem rot of purple passionfruit in Vietnam

In August 2012 a severe stem rot (stem canker) disease was observed in a purple-fruit variety of passionfruit, Passiflora edulis, in Nghe An province, Vietnam. The stem rot progressed rapidly along the stem affecting branches and fruit, leading to chlorosis, wilting and death of the distal part of the stem. It did not progress below the graft junction into the stem or roots of the rootstock, Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa. The disease spread within and between plantings causing 100 % loss of some plantings. Phytophthora nicotianae was consistently isolated from diseased tissue and the morphological identification was confirmed by sequencing, and two cultures were deposited in the Murdoch University Culture Collection as MUCC707 and MUCC708. The former culture proved pathogenic in stem inoculations and P. nicotianae was reisolated fulfilling Koch’s postulates. This report represents a new record of Phytophthora stem rot of purple passionfruit in Vietnam

The Vietnamese population of Megophrys kuatunensis (Amphibia: Megophryidae) represents a new species of Asian horned frog from Vietnam and southern China

The Asian frog genus Megophrys is a diverse group of morphologically conserved, forest-dwelling frogs. The genus harbours highly localised species diversification and new species continue to be described on a regular basis. We examined the taxonomic status of a population of Megophrys frogs from the Hoang Lien Range in northern Vietnam and southern China previously identified as M. kuatunensis (subgenus Panophrys). Preliminary phylogenetic analyses using a fragment of 16S rDNA places the species in question within the Megophrys (subgenus Panophrys) species group, a primarily Chinese radiation within the genus. On the basis of morphological, molecular and bioacoustic data, we conclude that this population does not represent M. kuatunensis, or any known species in the genus. We herein describe this species of Megophrys as new. Known only from Sa Pa District, Lao Cai Province in Vietnam and Jinping County, Yunnan Province in China, the new species is likely to be threatened by ongoing deforestation in the region. We provide an updated species description of M. kuatunensis based on type specimens, and suggest that M. kuatunensis is likely to be restricted to eastern China

Two new and potentially highly threatened Megophrys Horned frogs (Amphibia: Megophryidae) from Indochina’s highest mountains

Megophrys are a group of morphologically conserved, primarily forest-dependent frogs known to harbour cryptic species diversity. In this study, we examined populations of small-sized Megophrys from mid- and high elevation locations in the Hoang Lien Range, northern Vietnam. On the basis of morphological, molecular and bioacoustic data, individuals of these populations differed from all species of Megophrys known from mainland Southeast Asia north of the Isthmus of Kra and from neighbouring provinces in China. Further, the newly collected specimens formed two distinct species-level groups. We herein describe two new species, Megophrys fansipanensis sp. nov. and Megophrys hoanglienensis sp. nov. Both new species are range restricted and likely to be highly threatened by habitat degradation. These discoveries highlight the importance of the Hoang Lien Range for Vietnam’s amphibian diversity