Section outline
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The genus Lecanosticta includes nine species, among which Lecanosticta acicola is the oldest documented and most well-known (van der Nest et al., 2019). The pathogen is an ascomycete fungus causing brown spot needle blight (BSNB), a foliar disease affecting native and non-native Pinus spp. in many regions of the world. Damage is expressed as yellow to brown spots or bands of discoloration that result in premature needle shedding with significant growth reduction and possible death of the trees. In the European Union, L. acicola is a regulated non-quarantine pest (European Commission, 2019).