Fungus · GBIF taxon 5262796
Apple Scab
Venturia inaequalisAlso known as Apple Scab Fungus, Black Spot of Apple
Apple scab manifests as velvety, olive-green leaf spots and corky brown lesions on apple fruit. The fungus overwinters in fallen orchard leaves, releasing airborne spores during damp spring periods to infect new foliage and developing fruits. Unchecked infections cause premature leaf drop and disfigure fruit, making it a major management focus for apple growers worldwide.
MicroscopicPlant PathogenFungus
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Apple Leaves
- Apple Fruit
Predators
Not available
ThreatsFungicide applications and scab-resistant apple cultivars
HabitatsApple orchards, home gardens, and wild crabapple stands
Life span1 year per seasonal infection cycle
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyVenturiaceae
- SpeciesVenturia inaequalis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to handle; wild fungi have toxic look-alikes, so never eat wild fungi based on app ID alone.
Responsible observation
- Spring Monitoring: Inspect young leaf surfaces for velvety olive-green spots during wet weather.
- Autumn Sanitation: Rake and discard fallen leaves to break the fungal overwintering cycle.
- Cultivar Selection: Plant resistant apple varieties to avoid fungal outbreaks naturally.
Host Plant (c) Alexander Dubynin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Co-Occurring Pathogen (c) Sabrina Setaro, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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