Fungal species causing canker and wilt of Ficus carica and evidence of their association by bark beetles in Italy

Giorgio Gusella; Antonio Gugliuzzo; Vladimiro Guarnaccia; Ilaria Martino; Dalia Aiello; Mariangela B. Costanzo; Agatino Russo; Johannes Z. Groenewald; Pedro W. Crous; Giancarlo Polizzi

doi:10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0251-RE

Fungal species causing canker and wilt of Ficus carica and evidence of their association by bark beetles in Italy

Giorgio Gusella, Antonio Gugliuzzo, Vladimiro Guarnaccia, Ilaria Martino, Dalia Aiello, Mariangela B. Costanzo, Agatino Russo, Johannes Z. Groenewald, Pedro W. Crous, Giancarlo Polizzi

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodical › Article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Field surveys conducted during 2021 and 2022 in Western Sicily, Italy, revealed the presence of common fig trees severely affected by trunk and crown root canker and bark cracking. Moreover, in conjunction with the symptomatic tissues, the same surveyed plants showed the presence of bark beetle holes and internal wood galleries. The predominant beetle Criphalus dilutus was previously reported attacking figs in Sicily. Phylogenetic analyses based on multilocus DNA data showed the presence of different fungal taxa associated with disease symptoms, including Botryosphaeria dothidea, Ceratocystis ficicola, Diaporthe foeniculina, Neocosmospora bostrycoides, N. perseae, and Neofusicoccum luteum. Pathogenicity tests conducted on potted fig plants showed that all the species were pathogenic to fig, with C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp. as the most aggressive fungal species. Moreover, isolations conducted from the bodies of emerging adult insects recovered from disease samples confirmed the presence of C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp., suggesting the potential involvement of C. dilutus in their dissemination.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2136-2147
Number of pages	12
Journal	Plant Disease
Volume	108
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0251-RE
Publication status	Published - 24 Jun 2024

Keywords

bark beetle
canker pathogens
Criphalus dilutus
Ficus carica
fig
fungal diseases
wilt

Access to Document

10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0251-RE

Cite this

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title = "Fungal species causing canker and wilt of Ficus carica and evidence of their association by bark beetles in Italy",

abstract = "Field surveys conducted during 2021 and 2022 in Western Sicily, Italy, revealed the presence of common fig trees severely affected by trunk and crown root canker and bark cracking. Moreover, in conjunction with the symptomatic tissues, the same surveyed plants showed the presence of bark beetle holes and internal wood galleries. The predominant beetle Criphalus dilutus was previously reported attacking figs in Sicily. Phylogenetic analyses based on multilocus DNA data showed the presence of different fungal taxa associated with disease symptoms, including Botryosphaeria dothidea, Ceratocystis ficicola, Diaporthe foeniculina, Neocosmospora bostrycoides, N. perseae, and Neofusicoccum luteum. Pathogenicity tests conducted on potted fig plants showed that all the species were pathogenic to fig, with C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp. as the most aggressive fungal species. Moreover, isolations conducted from the bodies of emerging adult insects recovered from disease samples confirmed the presence of C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp., suggesting the potential involvement of C. dilutus in their dissemination.",

keywords = "bark beetle, canker pathogens, Criphalus dilutus, Ficus carica, fig, fungal diseases, wilt",

author = "Giorgio Gusella and Antonio Gugliuzzo and Vladimiro Guarnaccia and Ilaria Martino and Dalia Aiello and Costanzo, {Mariangela B.} and Agatino Russo and Groenewald, {Johannes Z.} and Crous, {Pedro W.} and Giancarlo Polizzi",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Fungal species causing canker and wilt of Ficus carica and evidence of their association by bark beetles in Italy

AU - Gusella, Giorgio

AU - Gugliuzzo, Antonio

AU - Guarnaccia, Vladimiro

AU - Martino, Ilaria

AU - Aiello, Dalia

AU - Costanzo, Mariangela B.

AU - Russo, Agatino

AU - Groenewald, Johannes Z.

AU - Crous, Pedro W.

AU - Polizzi, Giancarlo

N1 - PMID: 38468134

PY - 2024/6/24

Y1 - 2024/6/24

N2 - Field surveys conducted during 2021 and 2022 in Western Sicily, Italy, revealed the presence of common fig trees severely affected by trunk and crown root canker and bark cracking. Moreover, in conjunction with the symptomatic tissues, the same surveyed plants showed the presence of bark beetle holes and internal wood galleries. The predominant beetle Criphalus dilutus was previously reported attacking figs in Sicily. Phylogenetic analyses based on multilocus DNA data showed the presence of different fungal taxa associated with disease symptoms, including Botryosphaeria dothidea, Ceratocystis ficicola, Diaporthe foeniculina, Neocosmospora bostrycoides, N. perseae, and Neofusicoccum luteum. Pathogenicity tests conducted on potted fig plants showed that all the species were pathogenic to fig, with C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp. as the most aggressive fungal species. Moreover, isolations conducted from the bodies of emerging adult insects recovered from disease samples confirmed the presence of C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp., suggesting the potential involvement of C. dilutus in their dissemination.

AB - Field surveys conducted during 2021 and 2022 in Western Sicily, Italy, revealed the presence of common fig trees severely affected by trunk and crown root canker and bark cracking. Moreover, in conjunction with the symptomatic tissues, the same surveyed plants showed the presence of bark beetle holes and internal wood galleries. The predominant beetle Criphalus dilutus was previously reported attacking figs in Sicily. Phylogenetic analyses based on multilocus DNA data showed the presence of different fungal taxa associated with disease symptoms, including Botryosphaeria dothidea, Ceratocystis ficicola, Diaporthe foeniculina, Neocosmospora bostrycoides, N. perseae, and Neofusicoccum luteum. Pathogenicity tests conducted on potted fig plants showed that all the species were pathogenic to fig, with C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp. as the most aggressive fungal species. Moreover, isolations conducted from the bodies of emerging adult insects recovered from disease samples confirmed the presence of C. ficicola and Neocosmospora spp., suggesting the potential involvement of C. dilutus in their dissemination.

KW - bark beetle

KW - canker pathogens

KW - Criphalus dilutus

KW - Ficus carica

KW - fig

KW - fungal diseases

KW - wilt

U2 - 10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0251-RE

DO - 10.1094/PDIS-01-24-0251-RE

M3 - Article

SN - 0191-2917

VL - 108

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EP - 2147

JO - Plant Disease

JF - Plant Disease

IS - 7

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