PSHB Research Network Members

PSHB Network Coordinator:
Dr Trudy Paap (FABI, University of Pretoria)

OTHER MEMBERS:
University of Pretoria (FABI):
Proff. Brett Hurley, Wilhelm de Beer, Noëlani Van den Berg, Bernard Slippers, Almuth Hammerbacher, Drs Gerda Fourie, Mesfin Gossa

University of Pretoria (Centre for Invasion Biology, CIB):
Prof. Mark Robertson

University of Pretoria (Department of Plant & Soil Sciences):
Prof. John Annandale, Dr Nicolette Taylor

Rhodes University (Centre for Biological Control, CBC):
Prof. Martin Hill

Stellenbosch University (Dept. Conservation Ecology and Entomology):
Prof. Francois Roets

Stellenbosch University (Centre for Invasion Biology, CIB):
Prof. Dave Richardson

Stellenbosch University (School of Public Leadership):
Prof. Martin de Wit, James N Blignaut, Carmen van der Merwe

University of Witwatersrand (School of Animal Plant and Environmental Sciences):
Prof. Marcus Byrne, Dr Solomon Newete

Durban University of Technology (Department of Horticulture):
Drs Indrani Hazel Govender, Pravin Mark Maistry

University of the Free State (Dept. Plant Sciences):
Drs Gert Marais, Marieka Gryzenhout

UNISA (College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences):
Dr Kerry Slater

New Publications

Townsend G, Hill M, Hurley BP, Nel WJ, Crous C, Roets F. (2025) First report of the ambrosia beetle, Amasa parviseta (Curculiondae: Scolytinae), in South Africa. African Entomology 10.17159/2254-8854/2025/a24167 PDF
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
Balocchi F. (2025) Risk Analysis for Alien Taxa (RAAT) for Phytophthora cinnamomi in South Africa. 10.5281/zenodo.14858265
Paap T, Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ. (2025) The root rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: a long-overlooked threat to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Biological Invasions 27(4) 10.1007/s10530-025-03570-z PDF
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
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2025) First record of the white root rot fungus Dematophora necatrix on indigenous South African trees. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-025-01861-x PDF
Balocchi F, Sanfuentes E. (2024) Fungal pathogens on Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and French broom (Genista monspessulana) from Chile. Forest Pathology 54 10.1111/efp.70004
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2024) First Report of Fusarium Wilt and Pink Rot of Phoenix canariensis in South Africa. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70001 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
Paap T, Balocchi F, Burgess TI, Bose T, Wingfield MJ. (2024) A diverse range of Phytophthora species from botanical gardens in South Africa, including the novel Clade 5 species, Phytophthora mammiformis sp. nov.. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 13:111-122. 10.3114/fuse.2024.13.05
Visagie CM, Magistà D, Ferrara M, Balocchi F, Duong TA, Eichmeier A, Gramaje D, Aylward J, Baker SE, Barnes I, Calhoun S, De Angelis M, Frisvad JC, Hakalova E, Hayes RD, Houbraken J, Grigoriev IV, LaButti K, Leal C, Lipzen C, Ng V, Pangilinan J, Pecenka J, Perrone G, Piso A, Savage E, Spetik E, Wingfield MJ, Zhang Y, Wingfield BD. (2023) IMA genome-F18 - The reidentification of Penicillium genomes available in the NCBI and draft genomes for Penicillium species from dry cured meat, Penicillium biforme, P. brevicompactum, P. solitum, and P. cvjetkovicii, Pewenomyces kutranfy, Pew. lalenivora, Pew. tapulicola, Pew. kalosus, Teratosphaeria carnegiei, and Trichoderma atroviridae SC1. IMA Fungus 14(21) 10.1186/s43008-023-00121-w
Balocchi F, Barnes I, Wingfield MJ, Ahumada R, Visagie CM. (2023) New Resinogalea species from Araucaria araucana resin in Chile and reclassification of the genus in the Cryptocaliciomycetidae. IMA Fungus 14 10.1186/s43008-023-00122-9 PDF
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
Balocchi F, Marincowitz S, Wingfield MJ, Ahumada R, Barnes I. (2022) Three new species of Pewenomyces (Coryneliaceae) from Araucaria araucana in Chile. Mycological Progress 21(92):1:23. 10.1007/s11557-022-01840-x PDF
de Wit MP, Crookes DJ, Blignaut JN, de Beer ZW, Paap T, Roets F, van der Merwe C, van Wilgen BW, Richardson DM. (2022) An assessment of the potential economic impacts of the invasive Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in South Africa. Journal of Economic Entomology 10.1093/jee/toac061 PDF
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T, Ahumada R, Barnes I. (2022) Pathogens of the Araucariaceae: How much do we know?. Current Forestry Reports 8:124–147. 10.1007/s40725-022-00164-z PDF
Burgess TI, Oliva J, Sapsford SJ, Sakalidis ML, Balocchi F, Paap T. (2022) Anthropogenic disturbances and the emergence of native diseases: a threat to forest health. Current Forestry Reports 8:111–123. 10.1007/s40725-022-00163-0 PDF
Crous PW, Osieck ER;J, Shivas RG;Z, Bañares A;B, Burgess TI, Cabero J;C, Ferreira RJ;F, Ivanova DD;I, Lebeuf R;L, McTaggart AR, Mehrabi-Koushki M;M, Nel WJ, Nguyen TH;N, Reul M;R, Sato T;S, Tonegawa C;T, Visagie CM, C.M.; Vizzini A;V. (2022) Fungal Planet description sheets: 1284-1382. Persoonia - Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi 47(6):1284-1382. 10.3767/persoonia.2021.47.06
Van Rooyen E, Paap T, De Beer ZW, Townsend G, Fell S, Nel WJ, Morgan S, Hill M, Roets F. (2021) The polyphagous shot hole borer beetle: Current status of a perfect invader in South Africa. South African Journal of Science 117(11/12) 10.17159/sajs.2021/9736