Bottlebrush and Myrtle twig canker caused by Neopestalotiopsis species: an emerging canker-causing group of fungi in Italy

Pestalotioid fungi were isolated in pure culture from symptomatic plants of , , (marketed as " "), Myrtuscommunissubsp.tarentina, and M.communisvar.microphylla ( 'Microphylla'), showing twig canker, dieback and defoliation. The isolates were identified to species by ITS, and sequences, which revealed the presence of six species of ( , , , , , and ) and one species of ( ). While most species were isolated only once or twice, the majority of isolates belonged to (13) and (8). Pathogenicity was investigated by pathogenicity tests on all hosts, which confirmed the pathogenicity of all species on at least some of the hosts tested, while did not cause any disease symptoms. and caused symptoms in all hosts of the present study, while the other species tested showed no symptoms on .