In October 2016, the causal agent of Brown Spot Needle Blight (BSNB) Lecanosticta acicola (Thüm.) Syd. was discovered for the first time on young native Scots pines in a small mixed mountain pine/Scots pine stand in central-eastern Estonia. The pathogen was isolated from both pine species and identified by molecular methods. Both ITS sequences were deposited in GenBank. It is the first record of the fungus on Scots pine in northern Europe confirmed by the molecular methods. An intensive monitoring of this EPPO quarantine pest has started at this apparently initial point of infection of BSNB in Estonia and in other mixed exotic/native pine stands. When searching for Scots and other pine species in northern Estonia infected by L. acicola, Pinus × rhaetica Brügger was added to the world host list of L. acicola.

Keywords: invasive species, quarantine pest, Mycosphaerella dearnessii, Pinus sylvestris, P. mugo, P. × rhaetica.