During the first week in May, Prof. Mike Wingfield visited Croatia to inspect various field sites and to plan further details of a research project comparing the fungal associates of pine-infesting bark beetles in their native range and those accidentally introduced into South Africa. This is against the background where FABI researchers have studied the fungi associated with the bark beetles Hylurgus ligniperda, Orthotomicus erosus and Hylastes angustatus in South Africa over a period of approximately 40 years. These include a relatively large number of fungi in the Ophiostomatales (species of Ophiostoma and related genera). An intriguing and possibly important question is which of the fungi occurring with these beetles in their native range have been moved to South Africa. In seeking to answer this question, FABI researchers have established a collaboration with Croatian colleagues Dr Marta Kovač and Dr Milan Pernak. The five-year project led by Dr Kovac who is funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. The research began with a visit to Croatia by Dr Nam Pham in 2025 where a large number of fungal isolates were collected and are now being identified and studied. Drs Kovac and Pernak will visit South Africa in August 2026 to continue building this exciting international collaborative the project.