🌱 Management strategies include planting resistant species like Pinus patula. Early detection and understanding its lifecycle are key to reducing the damage caused by this globally significant pine pathogen. #FABI #ForestResearch.

🧬 D. septosporum is a hemibiotrophic, heterothallic fungus—meaning it can switch lifestyles and requires two mating types for sexual reproduction (though this stage hasn’t been seen in the Southern Hemisphere).

️Spores are spread by wind, rain and mist, and germinate in high humidity (12–18ºC). In tropical areas, infection can happen year-round, while in SA, spores overwinter and activate in favourable conditions. #ForestHealth.

🪵 The fungus causes red bands on pine needles due to a toxin called dothistromin. Black fruiting bodies emerge from dead tissue, leading to defoliation, stunted growth, and sometimes death of the tree. #PlantPathology

🌲 FABI Friday Feature.This week we’re highlighting Dothistroma needle blight, a destructive disease of Pinus species caused by the fungus Dothistroma septosporum. First reported in SA in 1965, it continues to challenge pine forestry. #FABIFriday #TreeHealth

🌲 First recorded in sketches as far back as 1896, this moth continues to remind us why entomological research and pest management remain key to forestry health. #Forestry #TreePests #SouthAfrica #FABI.

📍 Found in Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga & Western Cape. Though natural.enemies exist, infestations sometimes require chemical control to protect pine plantations.

🧬 The life cycle includes a 6-month pupal stage underground, followed by adult emergence from Feb–May. Females lay up to 200 eggs. Moths live up to 10 days. Larvae are seen from March–August.

🌈 Larvae are vividly coloured, with opalescent bands across segments that change colour. The final instar can reach 13 cm long! Adults have eye spots on all 4 wings and a wingspan of up to 15 cm.

🪲 FABI Friday Feature.Meet Nudaurelia clarki – the Pine Emperor Moth. Native to southern Africa, this moth is both beautiful and destructive. Its larvae feed gregariously on pine needles, causing severe defoliation. #FABIFriday #Entomology

📣 Understanding A. psidii is key to managing its spread. Follow us for more on the science behind tree pathogens!.#MyrtleRust #PlantPathology #Forestry #Mycology #FABI #FungalFriday.

🌍 First reported in SA in 2013, it has now been found in 7 provinces, affecting both native and commercial Myrtaceae species.

🧬 A. psidii has a complex life cycle with both sexual and asexual stages, making it highly adaptable. It spreads mainly via urediniospores, but can also reproduce via teliospores and.basidiospores.

🟡 Symptoms include yellow powdery spores on young leaves and shoots, tip dieback, leaf deformation, and even death after multiple infections. 🌱

🌿 FABI Friday Feature.This week we spotlight Austropuccinia psidii – the rust fungus behind Myrtle Rust, a serious threat to Myrtaceae species. #FABIFriday

RT @cdewing47: Our paper is out! .🧫 #Pseudopithomyces toxicarius was identified - causal agent of facial eczema in 🐄 🌍.📊 Several other spec….

Origin?.Still uncertain — but suspected to be linked to regions where Eucalyptus is native (Australia and nearby islands). 📚 Ongoing research at FABI is working to better understand & manage this pathogen. #FABI #PlantHealth.

Where & when?.🌍 Found in Mpumalanga & KwaZulu-Natal.💧 Appears soon after rain.🌞 Trees recover during dry periods.🧬 Affects Eucalyptus species, especially in cooler, higher-altitude areas.#ForestrySouthAfrica.

The fungus:.🔬 Slow-growing colonies.Grows best at 25 °C.🧫 Produce orange to red-pigmented toxin on media.🧪 Still relatively unknown biologically.📍 First reported in in 2023.#FungalDisease

Severe infections cause:.⚠️ Girdled, distorted shoots.⚠️ Crinkled leaves.⚠️ Loss of apical dominance.⚠️ Epicormic shoots.⚠️ Eventual death of susceptible clones after repeated infections.#PlantPathology