First report of Cryphonectria carpinicola in Croatia
Cryphonectria carpinicola (EPPO Alert List) is first reported from Croatia. Although no symptoms of hornbeam decline have been observed in Croatia, a survey was conducted in spring 2024 at five forest sites in continental Croatia, after a chance observation of a Cryphonectria-like stromata on the bark of a dead hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) branch. C. carpinicola was found in four out of five sampled forest stands in central Croatia where C. betulus occurs: Maksimir (Zagreb county), Popovača (Sisak-Moslavina county), Plitvička jezera (Ličko-senjska county), Varaždin (Varaždin county). The identity of the fungus was confirmed by morphological and molecular tests The majority of isolates were obtained from dead stems or branches. However, in two different populations, the fungus was isolated from branches on living trees that had died off distally to the area of the observed fungal sporulation, suggesting the fungus to be at least a weak pathogen on susceptible hornbeam trees.
The situation of C. carpinicola in Croatia can be described as: Present.
Sources
Nuskern L, Ježić M, Idžojtić M, Rigling D, Ćurković-Perica M (2025) First report of Cryphonectria carpinicola in Croatia. Forest Pathology 55(2), e70015. https://doi.org/10.1111/efp.70015