Saccharomycopsis fodiens sp. nov., a rare predacious yeast from three distant localities.

Three strains representing a novel yeast species were recovered as part of independent collections from flower-associated nitidulid beetles in Australia, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Analysis of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene indicated that the species belongs to the genus Saccharomycopsis, although the formation of ascospores was not observed. The yeast is capable of necrotrophic parasitism by means of infection pegs when mixed with other yeasts or filamentous fungi.