Native Fungus Observed to Attack Honeysuckle - Researcher Requests Assistance to Obtain Occurrence Data

Once again, I am asking you to report any occurrences of honeysuckle leaf blight that you may have seen this year. I first noticed it in the Cincinnati area in 2012, and it was also widely present in 2013. I saw very little of it initially this year, but I am now noticing it a lot.

 

The blight is caused by the native fungus Insolibasidium deformans, which apparently affects all native and exotic honeysuckles, except for Japanese.  If you are not familiar with the symptoms, I've created a page with pictures: http://www.nku.edu/~boycer/Honeysuckle_Leaf_Blight_Symptoms.html. 

 

There's also a link there to my forthcoming paper in Biological Invasions that has a description, as well as links to earlier work. I've been finding honeysuckle stand decline in the area, and while I can't say with 100% confidence that the blight has caused it, the circumstantial evidence is strong.

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Additional description of symptoms, causative agent, etc., is available in Boyce et al. (in press).

See Biological Invasions Paper in attachment below.

 

Please feel free to pass this on.

 

Cheers, Rick