THE SIREX WOODWASP: EXPANDING FRONTIERS

FABI News

News Archive

10 Sep 2025

13 FABIans capped at the UP Spring Graduation

Congratulations to the 13 FABIans that were capped at the UP Spring Graduation.

9 Sep 2025

The KPP team gets ready for the new Kiwifruit season

Members of the KPP were in the field to set up trials for the upcoming season.

8 Sep 2025

A double celebration for Caitlin!

Congratulations to Caitlin Gevers the successful completion of her PhD and being capped at the UP Spring Graduation.

5 Sep 2025

SACTA colleagues visit FABI

FABI recently welcomed senior managers of SACTA to the Institute

4 Sep 2025

Prof. Brenda Wingfield featured in a newly published book celebrating 20 Years of inspiring South African Women in Science

FABI Prof. Brenda Wingfield is featured in a newly published book celebrating 20 Years of inspiring South African Women in Science

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FABI Events

11 September 08h30

Special Seminar

15 September 08h30

Monday Morning Meeting

18 September 08h30

Student Seminars

22 September 08h30

Monday Morning Meeting

FABI in a nutshell

Research Features

Archive

New publication explores the chemodiversity of Penicillium isolated from alpine and arctic environments, including ten new species.

Review emphasizes the importance of understanding the genetics of sex determination for effective genetic pest management in insects.

Eleven new Penicillium and Talaromyces species discovered in South African culture collections.

A new study reveals the presence of Mycotoxins in Eastern Cape maize in South Africa.

Eurotiales update: FABIans Prof. Cobus Visagie and Dr Neriman Yilmaz and their collaborators have published a review of recently described Eurotiales species, including the economically important Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces and Talaromyces.

Da Vinci's Yeast: FABIans Prof. Cobus Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz, and their collaborators have recently described and named a newly discovered yeast species of the famous Italian painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect Leonardo da Vinci.

The potential economic impact of the PSHB invasion in South Africa has been calculated to be a massive R275 billion over the next ten years, if nothing is done to stop the spread of this invasive beetle. Researchers from FABI collaborated with Stellenbosch University ecologists and economists to model the unmitigated economic impact of this invasion.

A recently published paper in the journal Current Forestry Reports documents a collaboration between an international team of forest pathologists and invasion scientists. Led by Dr Trudy Paap, the authors present a framework for conceptualizing and managing invasive forest pathogens.

A recently published review article by Dr Andi Wilson in a special issue of the journal 'Microbiology & Molecular Biology Reviews' provides details of the genes that are essential to the sexual cycle in filamentous Ascomycete fungi and further describes their functions in a variety of model and non-model species.

Penicillium section Canescentia re-evaluated and five new species described from the fynbos biome in South Africa.

In November 2019, the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology hosted a workshop on ‘Frameworks used in Invasion Science’. The workshop led to a NeoBiota special issue on this theme, and includes a review by FABI researchers and international colleagues, exploring frameworks in the context of forest pathology.

A doctoral study in FABI confirms for the first time the presence of Xylosandrus crassiusculus, a polyphagous ambrosia beetle and its fungal symbiont, Ambroseilla roeperi, in three provinces in South Africa. The authors warn that this beetle species could be a threat to native and plantation trees.

A review on invasive gall-forming wasps that threaten non-native Eucalyptus plantations by researchers in the TPCP appears in Agricultural and Forest Entomology. They profile several species of likely Australian origin that have established on non-native Eucalyptus plantations globally and discuss various challenges to their management.

A study in the TPCP confirms the identity of seven novel fungal species associated with Dendroctonus valens, the red turpentine beetle. The study follows on surveys on the fungal associates of the beetle in China and North America. Results from this work appear in Persoonia.

A postdoctoral study in the TPCP describes two novel Huntiella species in the African clade, bringing the number of known species in the genus to 31. Though closely related, the two species display different mating systems. Outcomes from this study appear in the journal MycoKeys.

A review of the invasion history and global management strategies of Eucalyptus snout beetles in the Gonipterus scutellatus species complex by researchers in the TPCP appears in the Journal of Pest Science.

In a collaborative venture with Dr Jos Houbraken (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, the Netherlands), Prof. Cobus M Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz (both from FABI) and others have recently completed and published a major study updating the taxonomy of the Eurotiales.

A study in the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Programme at FABI interrogates the benefits of implementing genomic selection for growth and wood quality traits in an established Eucalyptus grandis breeding programme in South Africa. Outcomes from this study appear in an article.

The first study on alternative weed and cultivated hosts of Spongospora subterraneaf. sp. subterranea (Sss), in southern Africa identifies two species as ideal trap crops for rotation with potatoes. The study also introduces three new families to the known hosts of Sss in the region.

A consortium of microbiologists from around the globe, FABI included, is pushing for an overhaul in how scientific names are assigned to uncultivated bacteria and archaea. Despite their ecological, agricultural and medical importance, these organisms traditionally have not been recognized by the international body governing the nomenclature of prokaryotes.

Professor Cobus Visagie is a researcher in the Applied Mycology group at FABI. One of the group’s research goals is to discover fungal diversity in South Africa, and Cobus’ research is strongly focussed on the economically important genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Talaromyces.

Postdoctoral research by Dr Norman Muzhinji in the Potato Pathology Programme at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) sheds light on the genetic structure and diversity of Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea in four potato-growing regions in South Africa, providing valuable insights on its management.

An MSc study by Kira Lynn in the RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme at the University of Pretoria has described a new Fusarium species, Fusarium rekanum sp. nov., associated with Euwallacea perbrevis, an ambrosia beetle species infesting Acacia crassicarpa plantations in Riau, Indonesia.

FABI postdoctoral Fellow Dr Andi Wilson has established a CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing protocol for use in Huntiella omanensis, a tree-inhabiting fungus belonging to the Ceratocystidaceae family.

Research undertaken as part of a PhD study by Molly Malefo at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute sheds more light on the role of protease inhibitors in plants under drought stress.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has funded a postdoctoral research project dedicated to monitoring plant health in botanical gardens and arboreta across South Africa. Two postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Pretoria’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute have held these fellowships.

The first comprehensive study mapping the distribution and genetic diversity of invasive Eucalyptus insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa confirms the presence of five major foliage-feeding species in 14 countries. The results of this study have implications on the quarantine, future research and management of these pests on the continent and beyond.

Dr Joey Hulbert broke new ground when he became the first candidate at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute to complete a PhD study incorporating citizen science. Citizen science is an approach that involves members of the public as active participants in scientific research.

FABI technology unravels the genetics behind fungal genome evolution The RIPper is a bioinformatics tool for the for quantifying genome-wide RIP mutations in fungal genomes. The strength of this software lies in the automation of laborious techniques to study the mutation process called Repeat-Induced Point mutations (RIP). The RIPper applies these technique

With the increased availability in genome data, inferences regarding evolutionary relationships among taxa can now be performed on a genome-wide scale. But it is widely accepted that not all parts of such massive datasets support the same evolutionary hypothesis. Because of this, a group of researchers at FABI recently investigated the effect of this.

The use of genome data to characterize species and elucidate relationships, particularly between problematic taxa, has become routine practice in bacteria. Recently, researchers from FABI joined in an international effort to describe two novel genera and characterize these within the larger context of the important bacterial group Burkholderia.

A PhD student in FABI, Runlei Chang, has discovered and described 19 new fungal species from China as part of the research for his thesis. These fungi are all associated with conifer-infesting bark beetles and their mites and belong to well-known genera such as Ophiostoma and Leptographium.

Two research papers from FABI were selected as cover stories in two consecutive issues of the international journal, Plant Pathology. The journal is published by Wiley for the British Society of Plant Pathology.

Plastids play an integral role in wood formation, and yet they are routinely ignored in the study of xylogenesis in forest trees. Desre Pinard and Dr Eshchar Mizrachi have published a review highlighting the unique biology of plastids in wood, suggesting that a new type of plastid, the xylopast, exists.

Approaches for characterizing metabolic potential from genomic sequences have previously been predicted to be useful in the description of bacterial taxa. Dr Marike Palmer, has recently employed these approaches for identifying biological processes contributing to the divergence of bacteria with a variety of lifestyles.

Comparative genomics is shaping our notion of what fungal species are. Based on current data, these unique evolutionary units are separated from one another by boundaries that are porous under certain conditions. This affects our expectations regarding their population biology and evolution, and our strategies for recognizing and controlling them.

The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer is an ambrosia beetle native to Southeast Asia. In 2017 this pest was detected in South Africa. Its presence has since been confirmed in all provinces except Limpopo. The beetle has a symbiotic relationship with the fungus Fusarium euwallaceae, which causes branch die-back and death of susceptible trees.

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COMPLETE ABSTRACT BOOK (pdf 5Mb) Smaller pdfs for individual abstracts are linked to the titles below.

PROGRAMME AND INDIVIDUAL ABSTRACTS

THURSDAY 10 MAY

7:30-8:15 REGISTRATION

INTRODUCTORY PERSPECTIVES
8:15-8:30 Mike Wingfield (FABI, UP, South Africa) - Welcome
8:30-9:00 Mike Edwards (FSA, South Africa) - Opening address

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS: Past and future perspective
AUSTRALIA
9:00-9:20 Dennis Haugen (USA) - Sirex management in response to the green triangle outbreak: Lessons for other countries
9:20-9:40 Dick Bashford (Australia) - The current status of S. noctilio distribution, impact and control in Australia

EUROPE
9:40-10:00 Iben Thomsen (Denmark) - A review of Siricids and their fungi in Europe
10:00-10:20 Jan Stenlid (Sweden) - Genetic variation in Amylostereum in Northern and Central Europe

10:20-10:40 Discussion time

10:40-11:10 TEA BREAK

ASIA
11:10-11:30 Mashanobu Tabata (Japan) - A review of Siricid woodwasps, their fungi, and interactions with trees in Japan

SOUTH AMERICA
11:30-11:50 Edson Iede (Brazil) - The woodwasp Sirex noctilio in Brazil - monitoring and control
11:50-12:10 Marcos Beeche (Chile) - Official Program for the detection and control of Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in Chile
12:10-12:30 Rodrigo Ahumada (Chile) - The control of Sirex noctilio in Pinus plantations of the Arauco companies
12:30-12:50 Vicky Klasmer (Argentina) - The introduction, impact and control of S. noctilio in southern Argentina

12:50-13:10 Discussion time

13:10-14:10 LUNCH

NORTH AMERICA
14:10-14:30 Noel Schneeberger (USA) - Response to the recent find of Sirex noctilio in the United States
14:30-14:50 Vic Mastro (David Williams) (USA) - A research update on Sirex noctilio for North America
14:50-15:10 Nathan Schiff (USA) - Siricid diversity, biology and tools for identification
15:10-15:30 Kevin Dodds (USA) - Sirex noctilio detection and behaviour in North American pine ecosystem

15:30-16:00 TEA BREAK

16:00-16:20 Pieter de Groot (Canada) - An overview of the survey for, and research activities on, Sirex noctilio in Canada
16:20-16:40 Isabel Leal (Canada) - Siricid-Fungal-Nematode interactions in Canada
16:40-17:00 David Williams (USA) - Establishment of Beddingia siricidicola for biological control of Sirex noctilio in the Unired States: questions, issues, and challenges
17:00-17:20 Darek Czokajlo (USA) - Optimized Sirex surveillance technology: Designing lures and traps for pest and program needs
17:20-17:40 Discussion time

17:40 OPTIONAL TOUR OF FABI LABS AND NEMATODE-FUNGUS-SIREX RESEARCH

FRIDAY, 11 MAY

AFRICA
8:00-8:20 Colin Dyer (South Africa) - An overview of the national Sirex control strategy in South Africa
8:20-8:40 Phillip Croft (South Africa) - Monitoring the introduction, development and damage of Sirex infestation levels in KwaZulu-Natal
8:40-9:00 Brett Hurley (South Africa) - The Sirex control program in the eastern parts of South Africa: Lessons from research efforts between 2004-2006
9:00-9:20 Grant Boreham (South Africa) - Silvicultural measures to reduce the impact of S. noctilio in Kwazulu-Natal: Challenges and opportunities
9:20-9:40 Marcel Verleur (South Africa) - Validation for mass inoculations with Beddingia siricidicola, despite apparent low inoculation generated parasitism rates
9:40-10:00 Marius du Plessis (South Africa) - Influence of Sirex infestation of P. patula TMP pulp properties

10:00-10:20 Discussion time

10:20-11:00 TEA BREAK

11:00-11:20 Member Mushongahande (Zimbabwe) - The potential threat of Sirex noctilio F. to Zimbabwe�s forestry industry
11:20-11:40 Clement Chilima (Tanzania) - The threat of Sirex noctilio and other alien invasives species in Africa

OVERARCHING THEMES & EXPANDING FRONTIERS
11:40-12:00 Gillian Allard (Italy) - Perspectives on the impending threat of Sirex noctlio in Africa
12:00-12:20 Alan Cameron (USA) - The role of parasitoids in management of Sirex: Looking back and looking ahead
12:20-12:40 Dolly Lanfranco (Chile) - Key biological factors in the management of Sirex noctilio: a review

12:40-13:00 Discussion time

13:00-14:00 LUNCH BREAK

14:00-14:20 Jeffrey Dean (USA) - Opportunities for Sirex research in the genomics era
14:20-14:40 Magriet van der Nest (South Africa) - The genetics of recognition in Amylostereum species
14:40-15:00 Kier Klepzig (USA) - Competitive interactions among forest insect associated fungi: Implications to biology, population dynamics, and control
15:00-15:20 Diana Six (USA) - Climate change and the threat of forest insect and their associated fungi
15:20-15:40 Bernard Slippers (South Africa) - The spread and establishment of Sirex noctilio and Amylostereum areolatum in new environments
15:40-16:00 Simon Lawson (Australia) - A focus on pathways to stop the threat of invasive forest pests: Sirex as an example

16:00-16:20 Discussion time

16:20-17:00 Mike Wingfield (South Africa) - Summary and concluding remarks

SATURDAY, 12 MAY
Early departure to Kruger National Park.
Spend day in Kruger Park.
Overnight at Berg en Dal Rest Camp.

SUNDAY, 13 MAY
Spend day in Kruger Park.
Overnight at Skukuza Rest Camp.

MONDAY, 14 MAY
Early departure, through Mpumalanga Pine and Eucalyptus plantation areas.
Field stop to view plantations, and diseases and pests in these.
Stay in Ascot Inn and associated accommodation, Pietermaritzburg.

TUESDAY, 15 MAY
Field day. Visit Sirex infested sites in the Kwazulu-Natal midlands.
Discussions and demonstrations of biological control. Organized by the ICFR in collaboration with Private Forestry companies.
Stay in Ascot Inn and associated accommodation, Pietermaritzburg.

WEDNESDAY, 16 MAY
Sirex workshop, summarizing views from the symposium held in Pretoria, and critically analyzing the South African situation. Organized by the ICFR.
Stay in Ascot Inn and associated accommodation, Pietermaritzburg.

THURSDAY, 17 MAY
Depart. South African delegation drive to Pretoria.
International guests have option to fly out of Durban airport to OR Tambo (Johannesburg) International airport, and from their onwards.

Workshops & Symposia

Archive

Joint IUFRO meeting of IUFRO WP 7.03.13 and 7.03.16: Intersection of Behavioural / Chemical Ecology and Biological Control in Forest Ecosystems

Joint IUFRO meeting: Intersection of Behavioural / Chemical Ecology and Biological Control in Forest Ecosystems

New Publications

Mavima L, Steenkamp ET, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, JAMES EK, Venter SN, Coetzee MPA. (2025) Estimated timeline for the evolution of symbiotic nitrogen fixing Paraburkholderia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 213:108447. 10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108447

Pham NQ, Liu FF, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Chen SF, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Genetic diversity of Calonectria reteaudii isolates from infected Eucalyptus leaves and associated soils indicates a phyllosphere origin of the pathogen. Forest Pathology 55:e70037. 10.1111/efp.70037

Schröder ML, Hurley BP, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Garnas JR. (2025) Thermal limitations to the biological control of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in South African Eucalyptus plantations. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 10.1111/afe.70002

Lynn KMT, Wingfield MJ, Tarigan M, Durán A, Santos SA, Nel WJ, Barnes I. (2025) Investigating bark, ambrosia and nitidulid beetle (Coleoptera: Scolytinae and Nitidulidae) communities and their potential role in the movement of Ceratocystis manginecans in commercial forestry plantations in Riau, Indonesia. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 10.1111/afe.12698

Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield MJ, Naidoo S. (2025) Transcriptional responses of Eucalyptus to infection by an aggressive leaf blight pathogen reveal the role of host secondary metabolites during pathogen germination. Plant Molecular Biology 115 10.1007/s11103-025-01625-2

Coertze S, Coetzee B, Basson E, de Villiers D, Makhura T, Moster D, Slippers B, Rose LJ, Visagie CM, Read D. (2025) First Report of Clavibacter nebraskensis Causing Goss’s Bacterial Leaf Blight on Maize (Zea mays) in South Africa. Plant Disease 109:1580. 10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0164-PDN

Overy DP, Frisvad JC, Witte TE, Hicks CL, Hermans A, Sproule A, Louis-Seize G, Seifert KA, Yilmaz N, Price J, van Vuuren NI, Visagie CM. (2025) Chemodiversity of Penicillium isolated from alpine and arctic environments, including ten new species. Studies in Mycology 112:75–116. 10.3114/sim.2025.112.03

Harris MA, Kemler M, Slippers B, Hassel N, Tsamba J, Arthan W, Kellogg EA, AuBuchon-Elder T, Vorontsova MS, Archibald S, Hempson GP, Lehmann CER, Besnard G, Bergerow D, Brachmann A, Solofondranohatra CL, Greve M. (2025) Productivity drives leaf mycobiome diversity patterns at global and continetal scales. Global Ecology and Biogeography 34:e70094. 10.1111/geb.70094

Gao M, Yan Z, Liu Z, Jiang Y, Liu T, Miao X, Dai M, Bose T, Chang R. (2025) A novel Arthrobotrys species: Taxonomic characterization, nematicidal activity, and multi-omics insights into nematode predation. Biological Control 208:105853. 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105853

Esterhuizen HJ, Slippers B, Bosman AS, Roux J, Jones W, Bose T, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Early detection of Phytophthora root rot in Eucalyptus using hyperspectral reflectance and machine learning. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 237:110761. 10.1016/j.compag.2025.110761

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