OCCURRENCE OF AMPELOMYCES (=CICINNOBOLUS) AS A HYPERPARASITE ON POWDERY MILDEW FUNGI IN BOMBAY-MAHARASHTRA.

Abstract

Ampdomyces quisqualis CEs. (=Cicinnobolus cestai DEBARY) is well known as a common hyperparasite on the conidial stages of powdery mildew fungi and is widely distributed. The first report on the occurrence of this hyperparasite in India parasitizing Oidium sp. collected on Phaseolus vulgaris L. from Pusa was made by SYDOW & BUTLER (1916}. Since then three other reports have been made: one from Bangalore by VENKATARAYAN (1946), a second by CHONA & MUNJAL (1956)) from the Northwestern and Southern parts of India at altitudes varying trom 1000 ft. to 7000 ft and a third from Hyderabad by RAO & SALAM (1959). Strangely enough there have been no such reports from Bombay-Maharashtra although the powdery mildew fungi abound in this state occurring on a variety of crops and hosts. This aspect may have escaped notice in this state probably due to lack of intensive survey of and critical observations on the occurrence of these fungi. An intensive survey and investigation carried out by the writer during 1960--63 into the Erysiphaceae of Maharashtra revealed the occurrence of the hyperparasite, parasitizing oidial stages of the powdery mildews on the following twelve hosts: Pedilanthus phthimaloides POIT.; Hibiscus esculentus L.; Zinnia elegans JACQ.; Impatiens balsamina L.; Dahlia variabilis DESF., *Lagasca mollis CAV.; *Tamarindus indica L.; *Leptadenia regiculata W. & A.; *Blepharis asperima NEES.; *Hibiscus canna binus L.; *Helianthus annuus L.; and *Xanthium strumarium L. The hyperparasite has been collected for the first time parasitizing the oidial stage on hosts marked with an asterisk (*) which, therefore, constitute new records not previously reported in literature. It may be of interest to note that critical observations on the occurrence and distribution of tile hyperparasite and its effect on the incidence and intensity of the powdery mildews, revealed that al