Fungus-eating fungus: coming to a myrtle near you?

Reports on iNaturalist and from scientists heading into the field tell us that the 2022-23 myrtle rust 'season' is in full swing. This time around, those with good eyesight or a hand lens/magnifying glass could lend researchers an extra hand by looking out for a fungus that feeds on myrtle rust - a species in the Sphaerellopsis genus. This organism is hard to spot but has been seen on myrtle rust-infected ramarama (Lophomyrtus bullata), rōhutu (Lophomyrtus obcordata) and on one of the climbing rātās (Metrosideros diffusa) in and around Taranaki and the Kaimai-Mamaku ranges. Is it more widespread? Scientists want to know! For more information, including images and instructions on how to make a report, see the story about this discovery on the Beyond Myrtle Rust website here.

No Sphaerellopsis on your myrtle rust? No problem - please continue to upload your images (they are still useful). Between 1 November 2021 and 10 June 2022, New Zealanders reported 827 new observations of myrtle rust on iNaturalist - up from 561 during the previous 12 months. In fact according to this story A. psidii (the fungus that causes myrtle rust) has become the most common fungi reported on iNaturalist in New Zealand. For more information about myrtle rust records made on iNaturalist last summer, see here. With all the images flowing onto iNaturalist already, we could top 1,000 this year. Not great news for our myrtle plants - but helpful for those looking out for them.

Posted on December 12, 2022 03:37 AM by reneejohansen reneejohansen

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