First Record of <i>Corynespora cassiicola</i> Causing Leaf Spots on <scp> <i>Casimiroa edulis</i> </scp> (Rutaceae) in China

ABSTRACT In August 2024, a severe leaf spot disease was observed on white sapote ( Casimiroa edulis ), a promising specialty crop in the Rutaceae family, in China. The causal agent was isolated and identified as Corynespora cassiicola based on the morphological characteristics and a multilocus phylogenetic analysis of the ITS, tef1‐α and rpb2 gene regions. Pathogenicity was confirmed through Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first record of C. cassiicola causing leaf spot disease on C. edulis in China and represents the first record globally of its natural infection on a Rutaceae host. This study provides a crucial foundation for disease control and further research into the epidemiology and evolution of this pathogen.