Yeasts associated with rotting citrus fruits in Tucumán, Argentina

Yeasts were isolated from decaying spots in citrus fruits (oranges, limes, mandarins, grapefruit) produced in the Tucumán region of Argentina. Species isolated from the rotting fruit included Kloeckera apiculata, Candida guilliermondii, Candida stellata, Pichia kluyveri, other Pichia species of the Pichia membranaefaciens group, and Geotrichum candidum. Kloeckera apiculata, appeared to have some pectolytic activity when reinoculated into healthy fruit. The yeasts were probably carried by fruit flies. Larvae of the fruit fly ( Ceratitis capitata), which is endemic to the region, were found in the decay pockets.