The PSHB Research Network

Over the past few years, researchers at FABI had been in contact with senior academics from seven universities in relation to PSHB research. From these engagements a multi-institutional and multi-disciplinary research network evolved. At present we are aware of 16 research projects on PSHB conducted by Honours, Masters and PhD students, research fellows and postdoctoral Fellows, that are overseen by altogether 17 supervisors from the different universities.

The PSHB Research Network was established at a meeting of these researchers in May 2019 at FABI. The aims and strategies of the PSHB Research Network are as follows:

  1. To align and coordinate all research efforts by bona fide researchers from academic institutions in South Africa. This is to make sure that expertise and resources are utilized to the maximum in order to answer the most important research questions related to PSHB and its fungal symbionts.
  2. To provide science- and data-based advice to all stakeholders in government and private sectors.
  3. To effectively communicate new research findings related to PHSB among network members and to stakeholders and the public.
  4. To leverage funding. By showing that research projects form part of a well-structured, coherent research programme, more funding opportunities should become available.

New Publications

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
Nel WJ, Duong TA, Fell S, Herron DA, Paap T, Wingfield MJ, de Beer ZW, Hulcr J, Johnson AJ. (2025) A checklist of South African bark and ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae, Platypodinae). Zootaxa 5648(1):1-101. 10.11646/zootaxa.5648.1.1
Townsend G, Hill M, Hurley BP, Roets F. (2025) Escalating threat: increasing impact of the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus, in nearly all major South African forest types. Biological Invasions 27 10.1007/s10530-025-03551-2 PDF
Nel WJ, Randolph C, Paap T, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Barnes I, Wingfield MJ. (2024) Fusarium species associated with Euwallacea xanthopus in South Africa, including two novel species. Mycologia :1-20. 10.1080/00275514.2024.2394758
Nel WJ, Slippers B, Wingfield MJ, Yilmaz N, Hurley BP. (2023) Efficacy of commercially available Entomopathogenic agents against the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Insects 14(4) 10.3390/insects14040361