Invasive honeysuckle is a potential source of Corynespora cassiicola pathogenic to crop hosts in the United States

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a non-native, invasive perennial vine that colonizes disturbed sites throughout the eastern and southern United States. Surveys for endemic pathogens of honeysuckle exhibiting weed biological control activity were conducted in Maryland in 2021, and an unknown fungal species was recovered from necrotic leaf spots. Based on morphological and DNA sequence evidence, the fungus was identified as Corynespora cassiicola, causal agent of target s