Prunus serotina, Otterlo, de Zanding, 23.vi.2010 © Arnold Grosscurt

Prunus serotina, Belgium, prov. Namur, Barvaux-Condroz, 21.v.2010 © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Prunus serotina, Huijbergen, 1.viii.2012: heavy infestation

Prunus serotina, Wouwsche Plantage, 2.viii.2012: the infested leaf dies off

Prunus serotina, Bergen op Zoom: shoot die back

Prunus serotina, Epe, Welna, 11.vi.2016 © Hans Jonkman

another image

final stage

Prunus serotina, Bargerveen, 13.v.2017 © Ben van As: galled inflorescence

gall

even the fruits may be galled!

host plants

Rosaceae, narrowly monophagous

Prunus serotina.

notes

Until recently leaf curls in Prunus serotina were attributed in the European literature to Taphrina deformans. However, German mycologists discovered that a separate species was involved, that in the United States commonly was associated with this plant. Surprisingly, it is almost certain that Sadebeck described the fungus in 1890 on the basis of material collected in Germany. This implies that most probably the fungus was introduced into Europe together with its host plant.

On several localities around Bergen op Zoom in 2012 heavy infestations were seen, in some cases leading to die back of the young shoots. Perhaps that the “wood pest” finally has got its biological control agent?

references

Dietrich (2013a, 2016b), Jage, Klenke, Kruse ao (2016a), Jage, Kruse, Kummer ao (2013a), Klenke & Scholler (2015a), Kruse (2019a), Mix (1936a, 1949a), Koops (2013a), Sadebeck (1890a).