Abstract
A description is provided for Coniothyrium minitans. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, S. trifoliorum and, under laboratory conditions, can attack sclerotia of Botrytis cinerea, B. fabae, B. narcissicola, Sclerotinia minor and Sclerotium cepivorum. DISEASE: Hyperparasite of sclerotia of phytopathogenic fungi such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and S. trifoliorum (55, 4614, 4972). GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Australasia & Oceania (Australia, New Zealand); Europe (Britain, Finland, East Germany, Hungary, Poland); North America (Canada, USA). TRANSMISSION: By conidia and mycelia dispersed in the soil from disintegrating infected sclerotia which are covered with numerous pycnidia releasing abundant conidia. It has also been suggested that disintegrating infected sclerotia could be dispersed with the mycoparasite by fungus gnats (Mycetophilidiae) (Turner & Tribe, 1976).