FABI News
25 Apr 2025
Suez University delegation visits FABI
FABI was honoured to host a visit by a delegation from Egypt’s Suez University.
23 Apr 2025
Jackie Robinson Day a big hit with FABIans
22 Apr 2025
FABIans enjoy an Easter Tea
FABIans took some time off to enjoy the traditional annual Easter Tea on the morning of 16 April.
18 Apr 2025
Congratulations to Tanay Bose on receiving his Y1 NRF rating
Congratulations to Dr Tanay Bose on receiving his Y1 rating from the NRF.
17 Apr 2025
FABI's Prof. Irene Barnes presents her inaugural address
Professor Irene Barnes presented her inaugural address in the University of Pretoria’s Senate Chamber on 9 April, marking the inauguration of her acceptance as a full Professor.
FABI in a nutshell
Research Features
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.
Wondafrash M, Slippers B, Asfaw BA, Makowe IA, Jenya H, Bush S, Kayumba I, Nambazimana A, van der Lingen S, Hurley BP. Tracing the distribution of natural enemies of non-native Eucalyptus insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa. 22nd Congress of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa. 28 June to 1 July 2021.
Wondafrash M. Pest surveillance. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.
Wondafrash M. Introduction to pests and pathogens. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.
Wondafrash M. Monitoring plant health in South African Botanical Gardens. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.
Paap T. Phytophthora biology, impact, and management. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.
Paap T. Urban tree health. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.
Paap T. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.
Wondafrash M, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Hulbert JM, Wilson JR, Paap T. The value of botanical gardens to biosecurity and plant health research in South Africa. National Symposium on Biological Invasions. 5-7 May 2021.
Wondafrash M. Plant health in botanical gardens. A webinar. 28th July 2020.
Paap T. An update on Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) in South Africa. SANBI Interpretation Officers Meeting, Lowveld National Botanical Garden, 21st of October 2019, Nelspruit.
Wondafrash M. Plant health project in botanic gardens and arboreta in South Africa. SANBI Interpretation Officers Meeting, Lowveld National Botanical Garden, 21st of October 2019, Nelspruit.
Wondafrash M, Paap T. Sentinel plant research and monitoring PSHB. Beetle Workshop, 1st November 2019, Pretoria.
Wondafrash M, Paap T. Best garden practices and plant health. Free State National Botanical Garden, 1st October 2019, Bloemfontein.
Wondafrash M, Paap T. Monitoring plant health in botanical gardens and arboreta across South Africa. Seasonal Plant Sale Day in Free State National Botanical Garden, 28th September 2019, Bloemfontein.
Paap T. Pest and disease management and biosecurity in botanic gardens. A Plenary Talk at Horticulturalists Enrichment Forum at Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, September 2019, Johannesburg.
Wondafrash M, Slippers B, Hurley BP. Distribution and diversity of invasive pests of Eucalyptus in sub-Saharan Africa, 21st Congress of Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA), 8-11 July 2019, Umhlanga.
Paap T. An update on PSHB in South Africa and emerging plant diseases in Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden. Presentation at Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, June 2019, Cape Town.
Wondafrash M. Distribution and diversity of invasive Eucalyptus insect pests and their natural enemies in sub-Saharan Africa, FABI Post Doc Seminar, 8 April 2019, Pretoria.
Paap T. An update on Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) and its fungal symbiont in South Africa. PSHB meeting at eThekwini Municipality, 14th March 2019, Durban.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. European PhD Network “Insect Science” IX Annual Meeting, 14th November 2018, Florence, Italy.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Italian National Research Council (CNR) Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (ISPP), 13th November 2018, Florence, Italy.
Paap T, de Beer ZW, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Sentinel tree research in botanical gardens of South Africa. COST Action FP1401 Final Meeting: Sentinel plantings for detecting alien, potentially damaging tree pests, 19th Oct 2018, Sursee, Switzerland.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Forest Research, 4th October 2018, Farnham, United Kingdom.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Institute of Environment and Recreation Management (IERM) Convention, 19th Sep 2018, Durban.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Intensive Growers Association Biannual Symposium, 19th July 2018, Durban.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Ethekwini Municipality, 17th July 2018, Durban.
Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Simbithi Eco Estate, 12th July 2018, Shaka’s Rock.
Paap T, de Beer ZW, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Sentinel tree research in botanical gardens of South Africa and detection of the invasive polyphagous shot hole borer, a major threat to tree health. 45th Annual Research Symposium on the Management of Biological Invasions in Southern Africa, 4th July 2018, Thohoyandou.
Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Sentinel trees to detect pest and pathogen invasions: a global project. 29th annual meeting of the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), 16th May 2017, Pretoria.
Paap T. An early warning system for new and emerging threats to global plant health. PSHB Public Information Session, 19th April 2018, Pretoria.
Paap T, de Beer ZW, Migliorini D, Nel WJ, Wingfield MJ. First report of the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) and its fungal symbiont in South Africa. 44th Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), 10th January 2018, Pretoria.
Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Urban trees: Bridgeheads and Sentinels. UNISA Department of Environmental Science Colloquium, People and Green Space, 19th Oct 2017, Roodepoort.
Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. FABI progress report. Curators Week, 5th Oct 2017, Free State National Botanical Gardens, Bloemfontein.
Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Urban trees: Bridgeheads and Sentinels. Institute of Environment and Recreation Management (IERM) Convention, 12th Sep 2017, Johannesburg.
Paap T. Sentinel Tree Research in South Africa. Murdoch University Plant Pathology Group Seminar, 16th Aug 2017, Perth, Western Australia.
Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Urban Forests: Sources of invasion for plantations. 28th annual meeting of the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), 17th May 2017, Pretoria.
Paap T, Hulbert J, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Botanical gardens: Sentinel plantings to detect new and emerging Phytophthora risks’ 8th Meeting IUFRO Working Party 7.02.09 Phytophthora in Forests and Natural Ecosystems, 23rd Mar 2017, Sapa, Vietnam.
Paap T. Pathologist on the move. FABI Post Doc Seminar, 20th Feb 2017, Pretoria.
Paap T. Pathogens and insect pests as invasives on trees in urban environments. Non-native species in urban environments workshop hosted by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB), 8th November 2016, Stellenbosch.
Paap T. Monitoring tree health at sentinel sites: botanic gardens and arboreta, Curators Week, 3rd October 2016, East London.
Background to the project
Currently, there is a rapid surge in the number of alien arthropod plant pests and pathogens in many countries. Unfortunately, many of these pests and pathogens are unknown to science or at least unknown to cause serious damage before they arrive and establish in a novel environment. Improved pest and pathogen surveillance and monitoring methods and early warning systems are therefore required. To this effect, recently there is a move towards sentinel plant research to identify new and emerging pest and pathogen risks before they arrive in novel environments. In 2016, a South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) funded project was initiated under the framework of the International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN). The project aims to improve surveillance and identification of new and emerging pest and pathogen risks, by monitoring plant health in botanical gardens and arboreta in South Africa. South Africa is privileged to have several botanical gardens and arboreta located across the country. These gardens and arboreta provide a unique opportunity for biosecurity research as they house diverse collections of exotic and native plant species. The project also promotes an increased awareness of plant health issues, and aims to build capacity within the gardens to detect and manage pest and pathogen problems.
This website provides access to resources generated from this project and previous biosecurity related research conducted in botanical gardens and arboreta in South Africa.
The project is funded and supported by:
Important Links:
- Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)
- International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN)
- Invasive Species Programme
- Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB)
Contact information:
Dr Felipe Balocchi
Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)
University of Pretoria
Pretoria 0002
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone: +27 (12) 4203939
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 |
|
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 |
|
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
Page 2 of 2
New Publications
Bose T, Wingfield MJ, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Begerow D, Kemler M, Dovey S, Roux J, Slippers B, Vivas M, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Removal of organic biomass in Eucalyptus plantations has a greater impact on fungal than on bacterial networks. Forest Ecology and Management 586:122734.
10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122734
Woodward S, Amin H, Mártin-Gárcia J, Solla A, Diaz-Vazquez R, Romeralo C, Alves A, Pinto G, Herron D, Fraser S, Zas R, Doğmuş-Lehtijärvi HT, Bonello P, Wingfield MJ, Witzell J, Diez JJ. (2025) Host-pathogen interactions in the Pine-Fusarium circinatum pathosystem and the potential for resistance deployment in the field. Forest Pathology 55(2):e70020.
10.1111/efp.70020
Maduke N, Slippers B, Van der Linde E, Wingfield M, Fourie G. (2025) Botryosphaeriaceae associated with racemes, fruits and leaves of macadamia in South Africa. Plant Pathology 0:1–15:1–15.
10.1111/ppa.14107
Hulcr J, Barnes I, Barnes M, Gazis R, Hammerbacher A, Johnson AJ, Lynch S, Lynn K, Marais GC, Mayers CG, Nel W, Villari C, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) From forest to fungus: A roadmap to bark beetle mycobiome research. Phytoparasitica 53(45)
10.1007/s12600-025-01246-x
Knoppersen RS, Bose T, Coutinho TA, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Inside the Belly of the Beast: Exploring the Gut Bacterial Diversity of Gonipterus sp. n. 2. Microbial Ecology 88:27.
10.1007/s00248-025-02524-1