Abstract The endofungal metabolite epicoccamide D was synthesised in eighteen steps and 17% yield as the first member of the family of natural glycotetramic acids. The modular character of the synthesis opens access also to analogues featuring different sugars and spacers. It comprises several high-yielding key steps. The β-D-mannosyl group was introduced by using an α-D-glucosyl imidate donor with subsequent oxidative-reductive ...