Discovery of the eucalypt pathogen Quambalaria eucalypti infecting a non-Eucalyptus host in Uruguay

Quambalaria eucalypti, a serious pathogen of Eucalyptus, is believed to be native to Australia and introduced into various southern hemisphere countries, including Uruguay. In this study we record the discovery of Q. eucalypti causing leaf lesions on Myrceugenia glaucescens, a tree native to Uruguay. The identity of the pathogen was confirmed using DNA sequence comparisons of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA operon, as well as morphological characteristics. This is the first record of the pathogen on a host other than Eucalyptus. It clearly indicates a disturbing example of an alien invasive pathogen having undergone a host-shift from non-native Eucalyptus to a native tree in Uruguay.