Summary.  A workshop on Ascomycota is proposed to be held 9-12 May 2002 before the IV CONGRESO LATINOAMERICANO DE MICOLOGIA, organized by Asociación Latinoamericana de Micología and Instituto de Ecología de Xalapa, (13-17 May 2002) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.  This activity will help to train thirty U.S. and Latin American students in the culture, identification, and sytematics of ascomycetes, fungi that number over 32,000 species. Teleconferenceing faci5tlities would allow for accomination of additional students. A continuing long term benefit of the workshop will be the fostering of collegial relationships among the participating students and instructors, continuing a recent trend that has promoted successful interactions.

In order to continue this profitable trend in cooperation, a group of mycologists from the U.S. and Latin America (see below, Instructors) proposes to organize a workshop on ascomycetes for both U.S. and Latin American based students who will attend the Latin American Mycological Association (Asociación Latinoamericana de Micología, ALM) Congress to be held in Xalapa, Mexico, 13-17 May 2002 <http://www.ecologia.edu.mx/aInValm.htm>.

Throughout the world, about 32,000 species of ascomycetes have been described. It is, however, estimated that the number could in reality be double that number and many of the anticipated new species are believed to occupy Neotropical habitats, and in fact mycologists who work in the region have discovered well over 100 undescribed ascomycetes in the past year alone. It is important, therefore, to have a new generation of well-trained mycologists from both the U.S. and Latin America to attack the problem together in the near future.  The proposed workshop would promote an exchange of ideas, knowledge, and cooperative interactions among an upcoming generation of Western Hemisphere mycologists.

Students. The student experience would be two-fold: Students would learn identification techniques from experts in the different groups of fungi, and the students would benefit, many for the first time, from their interactions with individuals who speak different primary languages and come from different cultures. We have set a maximum of thirty students for the workshop, which will give us about a 2:1 student : instructor ratio. A small amount of support is available for travel for some of the students (see just below and budget). Participation by students would be prioritized to include students with long term interest in Latin American field studies and to balance ratios of U.S. to Latin American-based students funded by the National Science Foundation.  We feel that interest in the workshop will be high, and if the desire to participate exceeds thirty students, the workshop lectures would be televised to accommodate the additional individuals partially.

The students for the course would be drawn from several pools:

• Advertisements on web sites of the ALM (http://www.ecologia.edu.mx/alm/alm.htm) and the MSA (http://www.erin.utoronto.ca/-w3msa/) are already in place. MSA has set aside up to $4000 for students and young researchers who are MSA members to attend congresses this summer, one of which is the Xalapa Congress. These students will constitute a pool that will likely want to take part in the workshop before the meeting. In addition we will advertise the workshop in the MSA On-line Newsletter. Priority will be given to MSA student members planning careers including field research in Latin America.
• Seventeen students  (TABLE 1) were selected by the faculty and herbarium directors in participating countries of the Mesoamerican and Caribbean Herbaria Association in their efforts to initiate a training program in fungal systematics/biodiversity for Central American scientists, a high priority they have identified for the region. Recently these students attended a weeklong basidiomycete.short-course in Costa Rica organized by Drs. Roy Halling (New York Botanical Garden), Gregory Mueller (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago), and Julieta Carranza (Universidad de Costa Rica). Participation in training programs by these students has been encouraged by their home institutions to facilitate their professional development.  The Field Museum of Natural History already has pledged $3000 to help support travel to Xalapa for this group of students.
• A third group of about twenty students who will already be enrolled in the mycology course taught be M.C. Rosario Medel Ortiz at Universidad Veracruzana already are based in Xalapa and would not require funding to attend the workshop.

Workshop Format. This workshop would complement a previous successful workshop held in conjunction with the third Latin American Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, in October 1999. A hands-on laboratory approach to the identification of ascomycetes would be used, but lectures would be included as an introduction to specific topics. As in the effective Caracas workshop, the native language of speakers will be used and translations will be made whenever necessary by bilingual participants in the workshop.  The topics chosen for emphasis are listed in TABLE 2 will provide current information in each area, as well as take full advantage of the expertise represented among the group of instructors. The format of the Caracas workshop had a heavy collecting component; because of the seasonally dry conditions expected at the time of the Xalapa Congress, however, field collecting would not be practical.  Instead, the instructors would supply cultures, prepared slides, and dried specimens for instruction in identification of ascomycetes, including their asexual forms as well as literature and some specially prepared identification materials.  The work with cultures and specimens would allow a different experience, and the format would allow more time for the identification of a broad selection of fungi. The importation, exportation, quarantine, and property rights regulations of Mexico, the United States, and other countries involved would be respected.

Facilities, Equipment, and Supplies. The facilities of the Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, will be available for the workshop.  M.C. Rosario Medel Ortiz currently teaches mycology in the laboratory classroom at the university, and this well equipped lab would allow access to microscopes and other equipment.  Additional materials such as mounting media, slides, and cover glasses would be supplied by the instructors.  Identification  materials, would be supplied as needed by instructors. In some cases identification manuals prepared by instructors would be specifically tailored for use in the course. An attractive feature of the venue is that a nearby videoconference room that can be utilized if we should have additional participants who want to take advantage of the lectures and discussions.

Instructors. Fourteen ascomycete specialists (TABLE 2 and appended biographical sketches) have agreed to act as instructors for the ascomycete workshop. These include Meredith Blackwell, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, insect- associated ascomycetes and yeasts; Santiago Chacón, Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa, ascomycete taxonomy with special knowledge of local mycota; Fernando Fernandez, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, loculoascomycetes sytstematics; Richard Hanlin, University of Georgia, Athens, plant-inhabitating ascomycetes; Sabine Huhndorf, Pyrenomycetes and Loculoascomycetes, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, systematics of pyrenomycetes and loculoascomycetes; Teresa Iturriaga, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, discomycete taxonomy; Rosario Medel, Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa, ascomycete taxonomy with special knowledge of the local mycota; Mary Palm, USDA-APHIS, Beltsville, ascomycetes of plants and plant products, asexual ascomycetes; Donald Pfister, Harvard University, Cambridge, discomycete systematics; Gary Samuels, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, taxonomy of Hypocreales; Felipe San Martín, Biodiversidad Tamaulipeca, Tamaulipas, taxonomy of Xylariales; Emory Simmons, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, emeritus, taxonomy of asexual ascomycetes;  Joseph Spatafora, Oregon State University, Corvallis, systematiccs of insect-associated ascomycetes; Alexander Weir, SUNY, Syracuse, systematics of insect-associated ascomycetes, especially Laboulbeniales. The biographical sketches point out that these mycologists are highly qualified based on their active research programs, often in Latin America.  All of them are strongly committed to mycological education and increased collaboration among U.S. and Latin American mycologists.

Instructors

Santiago Chacón. Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa
<http://www.ecologia.edu.mx/academicos/chacon.htm>
Chacón  is interested in the taxonomy of fungi, primarily ascomycetes. He has conducted surveys of these fungi in several regions of Mexico and has intensively collected them in the botanical garden at Xalapa. His work includes descriptions of macroscopic as well as microscopic characters and ecological analyses of the species. His current interests include studies of spore germination of plant pathogenic fungi , including black mildews (Meliolales), and the use of wild fungi for food, He has participated in numerous congresses and the Caracas workshop, and he is secretary of the Xalapa Congress.
Selected publications:
* Medel, R., y S. Chacón. 2000. Contribución al conocimiento del género Plectania (Pezizales, Sarcosomataceae) en México. Acta Botánica Mexicana 50:11-19.
* Chacón, S. 1999. Primer registro del género Echinomyces (Ascomycotina, Diatrypales) para la micobióta de México. Acta botánica mexicana 49:15-17.
* Medel, R., G. Guzmán, y S. Chacón. 1999. Especies de macromicetos citados de México IX. Ascomycetes, parte III:1983-1996. Acta Botánica Mexicana 46:57-72.
* Chacón, S. 1995. Nuevos registros de Agariciales (Fungi) de México. Acta Botánica Mexicana 30:9-12.
* Chacón, S., and G. Guzmán. 1995. Observations on the phenology of ten fungal species in the subtropical forests at Xalapa, Mexico. Mycol. Res. 99:54-56.

Fernando Fernández. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
< http://fm1.fieldmuseum.org/aa/staff_page.cgi?staff=fernand >
Fernández studies the systematics and biogeography of the Lasiosphaeriaceae. Within this family, he has concentrated on the genus Chaetosphaeria. His work  emphasizes collections from the continental United States and previously neglected tropical America as well. He has been involved in a survey of the members of the Lasiosphaeriaceae in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador a and uses morphological and DNA sequencing in his work. As an employee of the Field Museum, he will spend the next few years doing field work in Latin America.
Selected publications:
* Huhndorf, S. M., F. A. Fernandez, J. E. Taylor, and K. D. Hyde 2001. Two pantropical Ascomycetes: Chaetosphaeria cylindrospor sp.  nov. and Rimaconus, a new genus for Lasiosphaeria jamaicensis. Mycologia  93:1072-1080.
* Bhattacharya, D., F. Lutzoni, V. Reeb, D. Simon, J. Nason, and F. Fernandez. 2000. Widespread occurrence of spliceosomal introns in the rDNA genes of ascomycetes. Mol. Biol. and Evol. 17:1971-1984.
* Huhndorf, S. M., F. Fernandez, and F. Candoussau. 1999. Two new species of Synaptospora. Sydowia  5:176-182.
* Huhndorf, S. M., and F. A. Fernandez. 1999. Neotropical Ascomycetes  8. New species of Lasiosphaeriella. Mycologia  91:544-552.
* Fernandez,  F. A., F. M. Lutzoni, and S. M. Huhndorf. 1999. Teleomorph-anamorph connections: the new pyrenomycetous genus Carpoligna and its Pleurothecium anamorph. Mycologia  91:251-262.

Richard Hanlin. University of Georgia, Athens
< http://dogwood.botany.uga.edu/Faculty.html >
Hanlin has a long-term interest in the life histories and developmental morphology of ascomycetes, especially plant pathogenic pyrenomycetes.  He has studied the taxonomy of tropical and subtropical ascomycetes for many years, and has had extensive of tropical field experience.  Several Latin American students have studied with him for their PhDs.
Selected publications:
* Gonzalez, M. C., R. T. Hanlin, M. Ulloa. 2000. Guanomyces, a new genus of ascomycetes from Mexico. Mycologia 92:1138-1148.
* Delgado, A. E., J. W. Kimbrough, R. T. Hanlin. 2000. Zygopleurage zygospora, a new record from Venezuela. Mycotaxon 75: 257-263.
* Goh, T. K., R. T. Hanlin. 1999.  Ultrastructure of ascosporogenesis in Melanospora  zamiae. Mycologia  91:565-574.
* Hanlin, R. T. 1999. The morphology of Cercophora palmicola (Lasiosphaeriaceae).  American Journal of Botany  86:780-784 .
* Silva-Hanlin. D. M. W., and R. T. Hanlin. 1999. Small subunit ribosomal RNA gene phylogeny of several loculoascomycetes and its taxonomic implications. Mycological Research 103:153-160.

Sabine M. Huhndorf. Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
< http://fm1.fmnh.org/aa/staff_page.cgi?staff=huhndorf >
Huhndorf's research on fungi focuses on ascomycetes, especially loculoascomycetes and pyrenomycetes, organisms that include plant pathogens and agents of decomposition. Her NSF PEET project research has floristic and monographic components, and she currently is working on worldwide monographs of Lasiosphaeria and Chaetosphaeria, two genera that occur on woody hosts. She has had extensive experience in Neotropical regions. Huhndorf has developed effective methods for recording and entering fungal records and electronic illustrations in databases to document her taxonomic work.
Selected publications:
* Huhndorf, S. M., F. A. Fernandez, J. E. Taylor, and K. D. Hyde. 2001. Two pantropical Ascomycetes: Chaetosphaeria cylindrospor sp.  nov. and Rimaconus, a new genus for Lasiosphaeria jamaicensis. Mycologia  93:1072-1080.
* Huhndorf, S. M., F. Fernandez, and F. Candoussau. 1999. Two new species of Synaptospora. Sydowia 5:176-182.
* Huhndorf, S. M., F. A. Fernandez, and D. J. Lodge. 1999. Neotropical Ascomycetes  9. Jobellisia species from Puerto Rico and elsewhere. Sydowia 51:183-196.
* Huhndorf, S. M., and F. A. Fernandez. 1999. Neotropical Ascomycetes  8. New species of Lasiosphaeriella. Mycologia 91:544-552.
* Courtecuisse, R., G. J. Samuels, M., A. Y. Rossman, G. Cremers, S. M. Huhndorf, and S. L. Stephenson. 1996. Check-list of fungi from French Guiana. Mycotaxon 57: 1-85.

Teresa Iturriaga. Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas
< http://www.did.usb.ve/Informe2000/biol_org.htm >
Iturriaga has a long-time interest in the mycota of Venezuela and specializes in the taxonomy of discomycetes.  She has collaborated with Pfister on field studies and culture of Sarcoscyphineae.  As a founding member, first secretary, and current vive president of the Venezuelan Mycological Society and past Secretary of the ALM, she has been instrumental in promoting collaboration among mycologists from the U.S. and Latin America.
Selected publications:
* Ruiz, R. F. C., T. Iturriaga, and C. Decock. 2000. Bulbocatenospora, a new hyphomycete genus from Venezuela. Mycol. Res. 104:107-109.
* Castaneda-Ruiz, R, and T. Iturriaga. 1999. Venustusporium, a new genus of hyphomycetes from Venezuela. Mycotaxon  72:455-459.
* Ruiz, R. C., and T. Iturriaga. 1999. A new species of Pleurotheciopsis from a rainforest in Venezuela. Mycotaxon 70: 63-67.
* Iturriaga, T., R. P. Korf, J. F. Babcock. 1999. Fungi on Epifagus. Crocicreas epifagicola  sp. nov., with comments on the generic names Crocicreas and Cyathicula . Mycol. Res. 103:28-30.
* Iturriaga, T., R. P. Korf, and P. Lizon. 1998. Zugazaea agyrioides, an odd new genus and species from Macaronesia. Mycologia  90:697-700.

Rosario Medel.Facultad de Biologìa. Universidad Veracruzana
<http://www.ecologia.edu./alm>
Mendel's main research interest is to contribute to the knowledge of the ascomycetes of Mexico, particularly the study of poorly known groups, such as Xylariales, Leotiales and Pezizales. She is especially interested in those fungi that grow in subtropical regions, namely the cloud forest. This research scope has derived in several papers, including the last inventory of Mexican ascomycetes. For some time she was the Curator of the mycological Collection of the Herbarium at the Instituto de Ecologia, in Xalapa. Currently she teachs at the Universidad Veracruzana where she works on a project about the phylogeny of the genus Gyromitra, as well as the inventory of Mexican discomycetes.
Selected publications:
Medel, R. 2001. Thuemenella cubispora  (Ascomycetes, Xylariaceae) un hongo poco común en México. Acta Botánizca Mexicana 54: 25-28.
Medel, R. 2001. Primer registro del género Stromatoneurospora (Ascomycetes, Xylariaceae) en México. Acta Botánica Mexicana 55: 13-16.
Medel, R., S. Chacon. 2000. Contribución al conocimiento del,  genero Plectania (Pezizles, sarcosomataceae= en México. Ata Botánica Mexicana 50: 11-19.
J.A. Chay y R. Medel. 2000.Los honmgos citados para el Jardín Botánico y áreas adyacentes In:  O. Sánches y G. Islebe (eds.) El Jardín Botánico Alfredo Barrera Marín. Fundamentos y estudios particulares. ECOSUR, CONABIO. Tapachula, Chiapas.
 

Selected publications:
* Medel, R. y S. Chacón. 1997. Ascomycetes poco conocidos en México VIII. Algunas especies del bosque mesófilo de montaña. Acta Botánica Mexicana 39:47-56.
* Medel R., G. Guzmán, S. Chacón, and R.P. Korf, 1996. Iodowynnea a new genus of the Pezizales known from Africa and tropical America. Mycotaxon 59: 127-135.
* Medel R., G. Guzmán y S. Chacón, 1995. New data on the genus Wynnea in Mexico. Mycotaxon 55: 295-299.
* Chacón, S. y R. Medel. 1992. Ascomycetes poco conocidos en México VI. Algunos Pyrenomycetes y Discomycetes. Rev. Mex. Mic. 8:55-62.
* Chacón, S. y R. Medel. 1992. Los hongos (principalmente macromicetos) registrados en el bosque mesófilo de montaña de México. In: J. Marmolejo y F. Garza (Eds.). Contribuciones micológicas en homenaje al biólogo José Castillo.Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, UANL. 13: 61-110.

Mary Palm. USDA-APHIS, Beltsville
< http://nt.ars-grin.gov/SBMLweb/About/Staff/IndivInfo/Mary.htm >
As an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) mycologist with quarantine insight, Palm sees an unusually large number of ascomycetes from around the world on a daily basis. Her interest in the taxonomy of plant-inhabiting ascomycetes extends to their asexual states.  See is a participant in and NFF-PEET project on Hypocreales, a group that includes many plant parasites.  Palm has been active in organizing joint symposia between U.S. and Latin American mycologists.
Selected publications:
* Camara, M. P. S., M. E. Palm, P. van Berkum, and E. L. Stewart. 2001. Systematics of Paraphaeosphaeria: a molecular and morphological approach. Mycological Research 105:41-56.
* Taylor, J. E., P. W. Crous, and M. E. Palm. 2001. Foliar and stem fungal pathogens of Proteaceae in Hawaii. Mycotaxon 78:449-490.
* Palm, M. E. 2001. Systematics and the impact of invasive fungi on agriculture in the United States. Bioscience 51:141-147.
* Camara. M. P. S., N. R. O'Neill, P. van Berkum, P. H. Dernoeden, and M. E. Palm. 2000. Ophiosphaerella agrostis sp. nov. and its relationship to other species of Ophiosphaerella . Mycologia  92: 317-325.
* Crous, P. W., and M. E. Palm. 1999. Reassessment of the anamorph genera Botryodiplodia, Dothiorella and Fusicoccum. Sydowia  51:167-175.

Donald Pfister. Harvard University, Cambridge
< http://www.herbaria.harvard.edu/discomycetes/ >
Pfister focuses his NSF-PEET sponsored work on the discomycetes, including members both of the Pezizales and Helotiales.  In the Pezizales he has done monographic and phylogenetic work most particularly recently on the suborder Sarcoscyphineae as well as several related groups. The Orbiliaceae, a large family of inoperculate discomycetes, are also of intense evolutionary interest because of their nematode-trapping abilities. Pfister was heavily involved in the planning of the Caracas workshop.
Selected publications:
* Wang, Z., and D. H. Pfister. 2001. Wenyingia, a new genus in Pezizales (Otideaceae). Mycotaxon 79: 397-399.
* Hansen, K., T. Laessoe, and D. H. Pfister. 2001. Phylogenetics of the Pezizaceae, with an emphasis on Peziza. Mycologia  93:958-990.
* Zhong, Z. H., Wang, Z., D. H. Pfister. 2001.  Pezicula magnispora, a new species on an herbaceous plant. Mycotaxon 78: 161-165.
* Hansen, K, D. H. Pfister, D. S. Hibbett. 1999. Phylogenetic relationships among species of Phillipsia inferred from molecular and morphological data. Mycologia  91:299-314.
* Hansen, K, D. H. Pfister, and D. S. Hibbett. 1999. Phylogenetic relationships among species of Phillipsia inferred from molecular and morphological data. Mycologia  91:299-314.

Felipe San Martín. Biodiversidad Tamaulipeca, Tamaulipas
< http://www.inbio.ac.cr/papers/gt_Hongos/es/organizacion.htm >
San Martín is an expert in the Xylariales of Latin America.  His studies are helping to understand transitions in the distributions of North and South American species of the order.  Of special interest in recent years is the discovery of the biological role of some of these fungi as endophytes of living plants. San Martín was instrumental in organizing a recent Mexican Mycological Congress that had a decided international flavor and has promoted international collaboration in research.
Selected references:
* San Martin,  F., P. Lavin, and J. D. Rogers. 2001. Some species of Xylaria (Hymenoascomycetes, Xylariaceae) associated with oaks in Mexico. Mycotaxon 79: 337-360.
* Rogers, J. D., F. San Martin, Y. M. Ju, and K. Hansen. 2000. Venezuelan fungi: Biscogniauxia viscosicentra sp. nov. and the anamorph of Camillea cyclops.  Nova Hedwigia 71:431-437.
* San Martin,  F., P. Lavin, and M. Esqueda. 1999.  Distorimula a new ascomycete genus from Sonora, Mexico.  Mycotaxon  73: 263-265.
* San Martin,  F., P. Lavin, and D. Portugal-Portugal. 1999. Two new species of Hypoxylon from Mexico.  Mycotaxon 72:159-162.
* San Martin,  F., J. D. Rogers, P. Lavin, E. Perez-Silva, and M. Esqueda. 1999. New records of Xylariaceae of Sonora, Mexico. Mycotaxon  71:129-134.

Emory Simmons.  Research Associate, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN
<http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/1999/FallWinter/answers/emory_simmons.htm>
Simmons was former head of mycology, U.S.Army Natick Research Laboratory, and director of the extensive NLABS (QM) Culture Collection (primarily fungus isolates from tropical regions); a
professor (adjunct) in mycological research projects at University of Massachusetts, Amherst; a visiting specialist on mycological activities and training programs in Thailand over a period of 20
years; currently working from his home laboratory on detailed descriptions and identification materials of microscopic fungi.  For example, at present he is devoted to work on the genus Alternaria, a large group of asexual taxa related to some of the loculoascomycetes.  Simmons has participated in many teaching workshops, including the one held in conjunction with the Latin American Mycological Congress in Caracas as well as in earlier mycological training and workshop activities in Thailand, Brazil, India, Egypt, Taiwan, Denmark, and at
the Pennsylvania State University..
Selected publications:
*Simmons, E. G.  2001.  Perfect states of Stemphylium--IV.  Harvard Papers in Botany  6: 199-208.
*Simmons, E. G. 2000.  Alternaria themes and variations (244-286) species on Solanaceae. Mycotaxon 75:1-115.
*Simmons, E. G. 1999. Alternaria themes and variations (236-243) - Host-specific toxin producers. Mycotaxon 70: 325-369.
*Simmons, E. G. 1999. Alternaria themes and variations (226-235) - Classification of citrus pathogens. Mycotaxon 70: 263-323.
*Simmons, E. G. 1998. Multiplex conidium morphology

Joseph W. Spatafora. Oregon State University, Corvallis
<http://www.orst.edu/dept/botany/mycology/index.html>
Spatafora conducts research on several different groups of fungi including members of both the ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. His current studies of ascomycetes includes systematics of Hypocreales, phylogenetic origins of marine ascomycetes, evolution of lichenization among the Ascomycota, and early evolutionary divergences among the Euascomycetes.  A long-standing interest of Spatafora is the evolution of host affiliation of the insect and fungal pathogens of the genus Cordyceps and related fungi of the Clavicipitaceae that has been funded by NSF.
Selected publications:
* Sung, G. H., J. W. Spatafora, R. Zare, K. T. Hodge, and W. A. Gams. 2001. A revision of Verticillium sect. Prostrata. II. Phylogenetic analyses of SSU and LSU nuclear rDNA sequences from anamorphs and teleomorphs of the Clavicipitaceae. Nova Hedwigia 72:311-328.
* Gernandt, D. S., J. L. Platt, J. K. Stone, J. W. Spatafora, A. Holst-Jensen, R. C. Hamelin, and L. M.  Kohn. 2001. Phylogenetics of Helotiales and Rhytismatales based on partial small subunit nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences.  Mycologia 93:915-933.
* Kohlmeyer, J., J. W. Spatafora, and B. Volkmann-Kohlmeyer.  2000. Lulworthiales, a new order of marine Ascomycota. Mycologia 92:453-458.
* Platt, J. L., and J. W. Spatafora. 2000. Evolutionary relationships of nonsexual lichenized fungi; molecular phylogenetic hypotheses for the genera Siphula and Thamnolia from SSU and LSU rDNA analyses. Mycologia 92:475-487.
* Spatafora, J. W., B. Volkmann-Kohlmeyer, and J. Kohlmeyer. 1998. Independent  terrestrial origins of the Halosphaeriales (marine Ascomycota).  Amer. J. Bot. 85:1569-1580.

Alexander Weir. SUNY, Syracuse
< http://www.esf.edu/efb/weir/default.htm >
Weir is one of fewer than a dozen experts in the world specializing in the taxonomy of the Laboulbeniales, a specialized group of ascomycetes that are haustorial biotrophs of arthropods, especially beetles and dipterans. He NSF-funded tropical field experiences have revealed that the group is speciose in the areas he has explored.  These fungi are especially understudied throughout Latin America, and specialists in the group are in dire need for biodiversity studies.
Selected publications:
* Weir, A. and Rossi, W.  2001. New and interesting Bolivian Laboulbeniales. Mycologia 93:170-179.
* Weir, A. 2001. Histeridomyces tishechkinii sp. nov., a new species of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycetes) from New Zealand. Mycotaxon 79:81-86.
* Weir, A. and Blackwell, M. 2001. Extraction and PCR amplification of DNA from minute ectoparasitic fungi. Mycologia  93:802-806.
* Weir, A. and Blackwell, M. 2001. Molecular data support the Laboulbeniales as a separate class of Ascomycota, Laboulbeniomycetes. Mycological Research 105:1182-1190.
* Rossi, W. and A. Weir. 1998. Triainomyces, a new genus of Laboulbeniales on the pill-millipede, Procyliosoma tuberculatum from New Zealand. Mycologia 90:282-289.