Esca is an important and destructive disease of grapevine wherever grapes are grown. This is a complex disease with different symptoms. Several fungal species characterized associated with esca symptoms in different regions around the world. Phaeoacremonium and Phaeomoniella species are the most important and well-known pathogenic fungi reported in relation with esca disease symptoms in different countries. During a survey on grapevine decline and trunk diseases in Kurdistan Province in 2011-2012 some 40 phialidic fungi resemble to Phaeomoniella and Phaeoacremonium were isolated from different grapevine cultivars showing esca disease symptoms. Based on morphology and ITS and β-tubulin sequence data four species were identified belong to these two highly distributed genera in association with esca disease of grapevine. Isolates resided in Phaeomoniella were characterized as Ph. chlamydospora, a species commonly isolated from grapes showing esca disease symptoms. Phaeoacremonium isolates were separated in three distinct clades as representatives of three different species including Pm. aleophilum, Pm. parisiticum and a species close to Pm. alvesii and Pm. rubrigenum. Sequencing of Actin is necessary to final characterization of the species resided between Pm. alvesii and Pm. rubrigenum.
