Candida carvajalis sp. nov., an ascomycetous yeast species from the Ecuadorian Amazon jungle

In the course of a yeast biodiversity survey of different ecological habitats found in Ecuador, two yeast strains (CLQCA 20-011^T and CLQCA20-014) were isolated from samples of rotten wood and fallen leaf debris collected at separate sites in the central region of the Ecuadorian Amazonia. These strains were found to represent a novel yeast species based on the sequences of their D1/D2 domain of the large-subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and their physiological characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis based on LSU D1/D2 sequences revealed this novel species to be most closely related to Candida asparagi, Candida fructus, Candida musae and two as yet undescribed Candida species, with the six yeast taxa collectively forming a distinct species group within the Clavispora clade. The species name of Candida carvajalis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains, with CLQCA 20-011^T (NCYC 3509^T, CBS 11361^T) designated as the type strain.