Pests and Pathogens

FABI News

News Archive

8 Sep 2026

Thirteen FABIans conferred postgraduate degrees at the UP Spring Graduation

FABI congratulates the 13 graduates from the Institute capped at UP's Spring Graduation ceremony.

7 Sep 2026

FABI hosts first CryptoADAPT workshop on <I>Cryptococcus</I> biodiversity

FABI hosts first CryptoADAPT workshop on Cryptococcus biodiversity

FABI hosted the first CryptoADAPT workshop from, bringing together researchers from five countries and seven academic institutions

4 Sep 2026

Congratulations to Lazarus on completing his PhD!

Well done Lazarus on successfully completing your PhD!

1 Sep 2026

Aaron Harvey secures second runner-up at the 2026 UP Visualise Your Thesis competition

Aaron Harvey has been awarded Second Runner-Up in the 2026 Institutional Visualise Your Thesis competition, hosted by UP’s Department of Research and Innovation.

27 Aug 2026

Bayer presentation at FABI

FABI hosted a guest presentation by Bayer’s Head of Corn Breeding, Africa

‹ ›

FABI Events

10 September 08h30

Student Seminars

14 September 08h30

Monday Morning Meeting

17 September 08h30

Student Seminars

21 September 08h30

Monday Morning Meeting

FABI in a nutshell

Research Features

Archive

Tracing the past, building the future: FABI research unlocks the genetics and genomics of the Sirex woodwasp complex

FABI researcher co-authors global perspective on mycotoxins and food safety.

FABI researchers Prof. Cobus Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz, and Nicole van Vuuren, together with international collaborators, have published a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the fungal order Eurotiales, which includes the economically important genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces.

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.

‹ ›

Pests and pathogens identified from botanical gardens in South Africa

	Species	Order: Family	Native range	Collected/isolated from	Botanic garden
1	Ace of spades cycad stem borer, Phacecorynes variegatus	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	South Africa	Encephalartos cycads	Kirstenbosch NBG
2	African citrus psyllid, Trioza erytreae	Hemiptera: Triozidae	Africa	Cirus spp., Clausena anisata, Zanthoxylum davyi	Durban Botanical Garden, KwaZulu-Natal NBG, Pretoria NBG
3	Aloe red scale, Separaspis capensis	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	Unknown	Aloe spp.	Kirstenbosch NBG
4	Araucaria scale, Uhleria araucariae	Hemiptera: Eriococcidae	Unknown	Araucaria heterophylla	Arderne Gardens, KwaZulu-Natal NBG
5	Armoured scale insect, Chrysompahlus pinnulifer	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	Unknown	Syzygium guineense	Arderne Gardens
6	Armoured scale insect, Duplachionaspis sp.	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	Unknown	Aloe marlothii, A. arborescens	Pretoria NBG
7	Asian woolly hackberry aphid, Shivaphis celti	Hemiptera: Aphididae	Asia	Celtis africana	Arderne Gardens
8	Aspidiotus capensis	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	South Africa	Encephalartos senticosus, E. altenstenii	Pretoria NBG
9	Banded Snout Beetle, Phlyctinus callosus	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	South Africa	Different succulent hosts, including aloes	Kirstenbosch NBG
10	Bracket fungus, Ganoderma spp. (mainly G. destructans)	Polyporales: Ganodermataceae	Unknown	Senegalia nigrescens, Vachellia xanthophloea, Combretum sp., Dracaena sp., Searsia chirindensis	Pretoria NBG
				Olinia ventosa	Kirstenbosch NBG
				Fagus sylvatica	Arderne Gardens
				Celtis Africana, Aracaria sp.	KwaZulu-Natal NBG
				C. Africana, Combretum erythrophyllum, Dombeya cymosa	Walter Sisulu NBG
11	Cinara tujafilina*	Hemiptera: Ahididae	Asia	Widdringtonia wallichii (formerly W. cederbergensis)	Kirstenbosch NBG
12	Cycad aulacaspis scale, Aulacaspis yatsumatsui	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	South East Asia	Cycad revoluta and other exotic cycad species	Durban Botanical Garden, Pretoria NBG
13	Cypress aphid, Cinara cupressi*	Hemiptera: Ahididae	North America	Widdringtonia nodiflora	Kirstenbosch NBG
14	Ectopsocus briggsi	Hemiptera: Psyllidae	Unknown	Laurus nobilis	Arderne Gardens
15	Erythrina gall wasp, Quadrasticus erythrinae	Hymenoptera: Eulophidae	East Africa	Erythrina caffra, E. lysistemon	Durban Botanical Garden, KwaZulu-Nalal NBG
16	Euplatypus sp.*	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	Unknown	Ficus macrophylla	Kirstenbosch NBG
17	Flat mite, Cenopalpus pterinus	Trombidiformes: Tenuipalpidae	Unknown	Fagus sylvatica var purpurea	Arderne Gardens
18	Fluted cushion scale, Icerya purchasi	Hemiptera: Monophlebidae	Australia	Citrus spp.	KwaZulu-Natal NBG
19	Fusarium euwallaceae (Fungal symbiont of Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB)*	Hypocreales: Nectriaceae	Asia	Platanus x acerifolia	Kwazulu-Natal NBG
19		Hypocreales: Nectriaceae	Asia	Senegalia galipinii, Acer negundo, Brachychiton discolour, Dombeya rotundifolia, Erythrina lysistemon, Quercus kellogii, Searsia lancea, Liquidambar styraciflua	Pretoria National Zoological Garden
20	Gardenbane Weevil, Ellimenistes laesicollis	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	Southern Africa	Many hosts	Kirstenbosch NBG
21	Greater aloe snout beetle Brachycerus tauriculus	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	Southern Africa	Many Aloe spp.	Kirstenbosch NBG
22	Honey fungus, Armillaria mellea, A.gallica	Agaricales: Physalacriaceae	Northern hemisphere	Fagus sylvatica, Lithocarpus sp., Rhododendron sp.	Arderne Gardens
22	Honey fungus, Armillaria mellea, A.gallica	Agaricales: Physalacriaceae	Northern hemisphere	Brabejum stellatifolium, Olea capensis subsp. Capensis, Senegalia burkei, Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii, Albizia adianthifolia, Apodytes dimidiata, Cassine peragua, Celtis African, Cinnamomum camphora, Ealaedendron croceum, Ficus lutea, Ilex mitis, Indigofera spp., Leucadendron argeteum, Olea capensis, O. woodiana, Protorhus longifolia, Salix mucronate, Schotia afra, Searsia chirindensis, Trema arientalis, Trichelia dregeana, Vepris lanceolate, Virgilia orobodes, Widdringtonia nodiflora	Kirstenbosch NBG
23	Large cycad stem borer, Phacecorynes sommeri	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	South Africa	Encephalartos cycad	Kirstenbosch NBG
24	Latania scale, Hemiberlesia lataniae	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	Unknown	Fagus sylvatica var purpurea	Arderne Gardens
25	Lecanodiaspis sp.	Hemiptera: Lecanodiaspididae	Unknown	Hibiscus sp.	Pretoria NBG
26	Lesser aloe snout beetle, Rhadinomerus illictus	Coloeptera: Curcullionidae	Southern Africa	Most Aloe species	Harold Porter NBG, Kirstenbosch NBG
27	Mining scale, Howardia biclavis	Hemiptera: Diaspididae	New World tropics or Africa	Fagus sylvatica var purpurea	Arderne Gardens
28	Palm aphid, Cerataphis sp.	Hemiptera: Aphididae	South East Asia	Cococ nucifera	Durban Botanical Garden
29	Phaea sp.	Coloeptera: Ceraymbecidae	Unknown	Erythrina lysistemon	Kirstenbosch NBG
30	Phytophthora amnicola*	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Soil mix and water source samples	Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
31	Phytophthora asparagi*	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Garden bed samples	Kirstenbosch NBG
32	Phytophthora capensis	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Garden bed samples	Kirstenbosch NBG
33	Phytophthora chlamydospora	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Soil mix samples	Kirstenbosch NBG
34	Phytophthora cinnamomi	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Garden bed samples, Quercus suber, Leucadendron argenteum	Harold Porter NBG, Kirstenbosch NBG, Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
35	Phytophthora lacustris	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Water source samples	Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden
36	Phytophthora multivora	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Garden bed and soil mix samples, Cupressus sempervirens	City of Cape Town Company’s Garden, Harold Porter NBG, Kirstenbosch NBG, Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden,
37	Phytophthora nicotianae	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Roots and rhizosphere soil of dying Encephalartos spp.	Pretoria NBG
38	Phytophthora tropicalis*	Peronosporales: Peronosporaceae	Unknown	Garden bed samples	City of Cape Town Company’s Garden
39	Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus*	Coleoptera: Curcullionidae	Asia	Platanus x acerifolia	KwaZulu-Natal NBG
				Senegalia galipinii, Acer negundo, Brachychiton discolour, Dombeya rotundifolia, Erythrina lysistemon, Quercus kellogii, Searsia lancea, Liquidambar styraciflua	Pretoria National Zoological Garden
				Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii, Cordia caffra, Erythrina lysistemon, E. abysinnica	Walter Sisulu NBG
40	Pulvinaria delottoi	Hemiptera: Coccidae	South Africa	Mesembranthymum sp.	Durban Botanical Garden
41	Pyriform scale, Protopulvinaria pyriformis	Hemiptera: Coccidae	Unknown	Syzygium guineense	Arderne Gardens
42	Sciobius tottus	Coleoptera: Curculionidae	Southern Africa	Cilvia spp., Melianthus spp.	Kirstenbosch NBG
43	Seychelles scale, Icerya seychellarum	Hemiptera: Monophlebidae	Seychelles or South Africa	Camellia japonica, Archontophoenix cunninghamiana	Arderne Gardens
44	Sophronica carbonaria	Coleoptera: Cerambycidae	Unknown	Aloe succotrina	Kirstenbosch NBG
45	The garden Acraea, Acraea horta	Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae	Southern Africa	Kiggelaria africana	Kirstenbosch NBG
46	The golden mealybug, Nipaecoccus aurilanatus	Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae	Australia	Araucaria sp.	Arderne Gardens, KwaZulu-Natal NBG
47	The leopard magpie moth, Zerenopsis leopardina	Lepidoptera: Geometridae	Southern Africa	A range of native cycads	KwaZulu-Natal NBG
48	Trichopsocus clarus*	Psocoptera: Trichopsocidae	Unknown	Camellia japonica, Viburnum sp., Zanthoxylum davyi,	Arderne Gardens
49	Trioza bullatae	Hemiptera: Psyllidae	South Africa	Ocotea bullata	Kirstenbosch NBG
50	Trioza sp.	Hemiptera: Triozidae	Unknown	Hellaria lucida	Harold Porter NBG, Kirstenbosch NBG
				Curtisia dentate	Harold Porter NBG
				Ficus sur	KwaZulu-Natal NBG, Pretoria NBG
51	Wax scales, Ceroplastes sp.	Hemiptera: Coccidae	Unknown	Podocarpus henkelii	Pretoria NBG
52	White powdery scale, Pseudocribrolecanium andersoni	Hemiptera: Coccidae	Africa	Strelitiz nicolai	Durban Botanical Garden
53	Woolly whitefly, Aleurothrixus floccosus	Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae	Neotropics	Citrus spp.	Pretoria NBG

* - First confirmed records for South Africa

NBG – National Botanical Garden

Workshops & Symposia

Archive

The TPCP / FMG-EPPI Symposium 2026

New Publications

Nadasen TR, Hein I, Berger DK. (2026) Structural phylogenetics identifies conserved effector families and cell death-inducing proteins from Cercospora zeina. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions First Look 10.1094/MPMI-05-26-0048-R

Mbamali SKS, Mohlomi N, Van Der Nest MA, Mchunu NP, Permaul K. (2026) Reciprocal Genome Projection Reveals Reference-Conditioned Functional Variation in Clinical Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolates. Pathogens 10.3390/pathogens15090941

Schertler A, Lenzner B, Dullinger S, Moser D, García-Rodríguez A, Krisai-Greilhuber I, Voglmayr H, Bufford JL, Santini A, Ghelardini L, Capinha C, Reino L, Wingfield MJ, Thines M, Talhinhas P, Dawson W, van Kleunen M, Kreft H, Pergl J, Pyšek P, Weigelt P, Winter M, Essl F. (2026) Are novel and co-xenic associations common in alien fungal and fungus-like plants pathogens?. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71455

Thango S, Nsibo DL, Berger DK, Visagie CM, Slippers B. (2026) Phenotypic variation in the in vitro and in planta aggressiveness traits among Exserohilum turcicum strains from South Africa. Plant Pathology 75(4):e70257. 10.1111/ppa.70257

Bradshaw MJ, Paul A, Villani S, Bensch K, Mitchell KJ, Pfister DH, Visagie CM, Garfinkel AR, Quesada-Ocampo L, Aime MC, Braun U. (2026) Modern taxonomy as the foundation for identifying and managing fungal and fungus like plant pathogens. Plant Disease 10.1094/PDIS-12-25-2537-FE

Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2026) Occurrence of Phytophthora cinnamomi in the rhizosphere of declining Leucadendron elimense subsp. salteri in South Africa. Forest Pathology 56(4):e70097. 10.1111/efp.70097

Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Marincowitz S, Marpaung YMAN, Selebi AP, Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ. (2026) A novel Cryphonectria species (Cryphonectriaceae, Diaporthales) discovered on Eucalyptus, including insights into the mating biology of the genus. Fungal Biology 130:101831. 10.1016/j.funbio.2026.101831

Kim JS, Lee W, Seo CW, Lee JW, Perera RH, Rho SM, Visagie CM, Houbraken J, Lim YW. (2026) A comprehensive assessment of Penicillium diversity in marine environments. Studies in Mycology 115:1–57. 10.3114/sim.2026.115.01

Jami F, Truter M, Pavlic M, Chen SF, Roux J. (2026) Identification of Botryosphaeriaceae species in the South African National Collection of fungi, including a novel species of Oblongocollomyces. African Biodiversity & Conservation 56(1):1-13.

Vettraino AM, Bose T. (2026) Urban green spaces as emerging hotspots for Phytophthora diversity: a global synthesis of host associations, distribution and management gaps. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 9:1872981. 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1872981

Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Unveiling a hidden menace: Invasive tree pathogens, less known but increasingly threatening Southern hemisphere forests. Annual Review of Phytopathology 64 10.1146/annurev-phyto-011325-100959

Motete T, Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Naidoo S. (2026) Gene expression profiling in Eucalyptus associates Phenylpropanoid resistance to Teratosphaeria destructans. Plant Pathology 10.1111/ppa.70207

Aylward J, Atkins S, Roets F, Danti R, Della Rocca G, Emiliani G, Fraser S, Garbelotto MM, Herron DA, Scali E, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) High genetic diversity in the Cypress canker pathogen Seiridium cardinale in the Southern Hemisphere. Plant Pathology 75 10.1111/ppa.70212

van Heerden A, Pham NQ, Duong TA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2026) Draft genome sequence of Ganoderma philippii, a serious root rot pathogen of Eucalyptus in Southeast Asia. Australasian Plant Pathology 55:81. 10.1007/s13313-026-01159-1

Schoeman C, Roodt D, Mc Menamin A, Bezuidt O, Dithugoe C, Pinard D, Mizrachi E. (2026) Conserved symbiosis-associated genes in the cycad Encephalartos natalensis suggest co-option for cyanobacterial symbiosis. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71311

Townsend G, Hill M, Hurley BP, Roets F. (2026) Native Scolytinae and Platypodinae beetle assemblages in indigenous South African forests and their co-occurrence with the invasive PSHB beetle. Journal of Insect Conservation 30 10.1007/s10841-026-00779-8

Botha I, Maduna SN, Hagen SB, Lall N, Berger DK. (2026) 3RAD-guided SNP discovery for species identification and conservation of the medicinal southern African tree Genus Greyia Hook. & Harv.. Ecology and Evolution 16(5):e73412, 1-29. 10.1002/ece3.73412

Balocchi F, Duncan G, Yilmaz N, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2026) The critically endangered geophyte Gladiolus aureus threatened by a wilt disease associated with Fusarium libertatis. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-026-02227-7

Bose T, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Plantations are invasive pathogen bridgeheads—response to Li et al.. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.006

Jamieson B-A, Paap T, Pegg GS, Carnegie AJ, Wingfield MJ, Roux J, Hardy GEStJ, Drenth A, Hammerbacher A, Bose T. (2026) Quambalaria spp.: Emerging Tree Pathogens of Concern. Current Forestry Reports 12:13. 10.1007/s40725-026-00274-y

Masuku SK, De Vos L, Thabiso TE, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD. (2026) Baseline sensitivity of South African Fusarium circinatum to tebuconazole. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-026-02197-w

Fitawek W, Anjulo A, Healey M, Lawson SA, Hurley BP. (2026) The Moringa value chain in Ethiopia and the socio-economic impact of pests and diseases. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience 10.1079/ab.2026.00041

Lynn KMT, Wingfield MJ, Oliveira LSS, Alfenas AC, Ferreira Alfenas RF, Marincowitz S, Barnes I. (2026) Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses reveal patterns of divergence amongst isolates of Ceratocystis manginecans. Ecology and Evolution 16 10.1002/ece3.73652

Dlamini CM, Matongera TN, Lawson SA, Healey M, Tanga A, Regasa K, Kassie W, Hurley BP, Germishuizen I. (2026) Modelling spatiotemporal dynamics of wattle plantations in northwestern Ethiopia using harmonised PlanetScope and RapidEye imagery. Trees, Forests and People 25:101293. 10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101293

Ndou M, Potts WM, Duong TA, Teske PR, Childs AR, Henriques R. (2026) Conspecific scaffold-level genome assembly outperforms heterospecific chromosome-level assemblies for assessing genetic indicators in a threatened marine fish. Evolutionary Applications 19:e70247. 10.1111/eva.70247

Marx B, van Dijk A, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2026) Breaking the mould: Cellulose in the cell walls of the Ophiostomatales. Fungal Biology Reviews 57 10.1016/j.fbr.2026.100489

Wingfield BD, Coetzee MPA, Wingfield BJ, Groenewald M, Pohl C, Wingfield MJ. (2026) The genetic blueprint of Cyclohexamide resistance: Analysis of 816 yeast species. Research Square 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9313202/v1

Paap T, White D, Bose T, Burgess TI. (2026) Diversity and phylogeny of Phytophthora Clade 9, including descriptions of three novel species. Mycological Progress 25:29. 10.1007/s11557-026-02140-4

Kgatla MM, Barker C, Baxter JR, Bester-van der Merwe AE, Chaisi M, Chakona A, Cherry MI, Daniels SR, Du Preez LH, Haddad CR, Hawkes PG, Ho C, Hoareau TB, Jacobs A, Jacobs K, Janion-Scheepers C, Jansen van Vuuren B, Kabongo RM, Khoza TT, Khumalo NL, Mahlanza T, Makapela L, Makhubo BG, Maneveldt GW, Mashego K, Matcher G, Matthee CA, Mavhunga M, Midgley JM, Mlambo M, Monsanto DM, Mthombeni R, Murray SL, Mynhardt S, Nang-Mba B, Ndlovu M, Parbhu SP, Phetla V, Phukuntsi M, Pitcher TR, Samaai T, Sethusa MT, Simon CA, Sink K, Sole CL, Theron GL, van Asch B, van der Bank M, van Steenderen CJM, Villet MH, Visagie CM, Williams KA, Willows-Munro S, Da Silva JM, Mwale M. (2026) An overview of DNA barcoding of biodiversity in South Africa. PLOS ONE 21(4):e0345173. 10.1371/journal.pone.0345173

Li GQ, Slippers B, Wingfield MJ, Chen SF. (2026) Diversity, distribution and host range of Botryosphaeriaceae in China. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70077

Joubert M, van den Berg N, Theron J, Swart V. (2026) Leaf bleaching is associated with extensive transcriptional reprogramming in avocado trees with sunblotch disease. Virology 620:110903. 10.1016/j.virol.2026.110903

Nzuza P, Schroder ML, Slippers B, Maes WH. (2026) Spectral responses to larval and artificial defoliation in Eucalyptus dunnii: Implications for UAV-based detection of Gonipterus damage. Drones 10(4) 10.3390/drones10040250

Six DL, Marincowitz S, Duong TA. (2026) Ophiostoma ipsi-confusi sp. nov. Six, Marinc. & Duong, a consistent symbiotic fungus of the pinyon ips bark beetle, Ips confusus LeConte. Symbiosis 10.1007/s13199-026-01135-9

Yan Z, Zhao Y, Meng X, Gao M, Si H, Zhao G, Bose T, Chang R. (2026) New manganese-oxidizing Acremonium-like fungi from halophytic rhizospheres in the Yellow River Delta, China. Mycologia :1-13. 10.1080/00275514.2026.2627133

Eshetu FB, Barnes I, Nahrung HF, Fitza KNE, Slippers B. (2026) A Century of invasion: How biosecurity influenced populations of Sirex noctilio and Its fungal symbiont in Australasia. Molecular Ecology 35(6):0962 - 1083. 10.1111/mec.70311

Viljoen A, Duong TA, Kanzi AM, Wingfield BD. (2026) Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes in the Ceratocystidaceae reveals highly conserved gene organization despite substantial genome size variation. BMC Genomics 10.1186/s12864-026-12755-2

Ribeiro MF, Cavallini G, Solce GN, Favoreto AL, De Souza Passos J-R, Barbosa LR, Hurley BP, Wilcken CF. (2026) Cold storage of Gonipterus platensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) eggs for Anaphes nitens (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) rearing. PeerJ :1-14. 10.7717/peerj.20903

Pham NQ, Marincowitz S, Marpaung YMAN, Tarigan M, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Two Cryphonectriaceae species from Eucalyptus leaves in North Sumatra and their stem inoculation outcomes. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 17:69–79. 10.15761/fuse.2026.17.05

Nickles GR, Stokes CK, Narh DL, Lynn KMT, Fuqua SR, Bryan C, Allen BM, Bivins CP, Bok JW, Brewer JS, Buthelezi ST, Clark JPRM, Coon KL, Corby LR, Coetzee MPA, Dewing C, Duong TA, Harris MA, Keller NP, Kopotsa K, Lane FA, Nichols HL, Nieuwoudt A, Nuñez MA, Medina Munoz ME, Park SC, Pham NQ, Ryan KT, Solís M, Vilgalys R, Wallace JM, Wang YW, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Worley TK, Zallek TA, Zamanian M, Hoeksma JD, Drott M, Pringle A. (2026) Equipped for success: Genomes and metabolites of the European Amanita muscaria are conserved in its novel South African range. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71064

Pham NQ, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD. (2026) Draft genome sequence of Elsinoe masingae: the causal agent of Eucalyptus scab in South Africa. Australasian Plant Pathology 55:37. 10.1007/s13313-026-01082-5

Pham NQ, Marincowitz S, Wingfield BD, Crous PW, Santos SA, Durán A, Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ . (2026) Pseudoteratosphaeria supramediana sp. nov. (Teratosphaeriaceae, Mycosphaerellales), a new foliar pathogen on Eucalyptus in Indonesia. Australasian Plant Pathology 55:28. 10.1007/s13313-026-01092-3

Nel WJ, Jali S, Barnes I, Wondafrash M, Hurley BP. (2026) Outbreaks of a native jewel beetle, Agrilus grandis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), on commercial black wattle, Acacia mearnsii, plantations in South Africa. African Entomology 34(1):1-5. 10.17159/2254-8854/2026/a24625

Postma A, Klynsmith L, Duong TA, Allison JD, Smidt W, Waterhouse RM, Lesny P, Oeyen JP, Petersen M, Martin S, Liu S, Zhou X, Ziesmann T, Donath A, Mayer C, Misof B, Niehuis O, Peters RS, Podsiadlowski L, Coetzee MPA, Joubert F, Slippers B. (2026) Genome and transcriptome-based identification and expression profiling of chemosensory gene families across developmental stages and tissues in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). Insect Molecular Biology :1-14. 10.1111/imb.70029

Aylward J, Visagie CM, Roets F, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Genome analyses reveal two novel species of Seiridium from Acacia mearnsii. Mycological Progress 25:8. 10.1007/s11557-026-02121-7

Liu QL, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Crous PW. (2026) Taxonomy, distribution and dispersal of Calonectria species: Important pathogens of forestry, agricultural and horticultural crops. Current Forestry Reports 12(4) 10.1007/s40725-025-00262-8

Carstens M, Pliego C, Norval A, van den Berg N. (2026) Dematophora necatrix: From taxonomy to molecular advances. Fungal Biology Reviews 55:100471. 10.1016/j.fbr.2026.100471

Nethononda PD, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Makhura MN. (2026) Smallholder farmers’ knowledge, perception and management of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Zea mays at irrigation schemes in Limpopo province, South Africa. Crop Protection :107457. 10.1016/j.cropro.2025.107457

Karsten M, Fourie G, Roets F, Javal M, Terblanche J, Dittrich-Schröder G, Bierman A. 2026. Genetic Toolkits for IPM. In: Principles of Integrated Pest Management. Terblanche J, Karsten M. (eds). CABI, pp 294-319.

Swanepoel S, Naidoo S. (2026) A weighted gene co-expression network analysis characterises the common defence responses of Eucalyptus to diverse biotic challenges. Scientific Reports 16:5387. 10.1038/s41598-025-32699-z

Addikah C, Abubeker H, Mukiibi A, Bairu M, Amelework A, Van der Laan M, Mangani R. (2026) Current and future potential of cassava (Manihot esculenta) in Southern Africa: a scoping review. 4:120. 10.1007/s44279-026-00598-0

5
10
20
30
50
100
Export to RIS