Checklist of <i>Colletotrichum</i> species associated with plant diseases in the Philippines

Fungal plant diseases account for more than half of the plant disease records in the Philippines. The fungal species in the genus <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> are among the most well-studied fungi due to their multifaceted lifestyle, ubiquitous nature, and, more importantly, their role as pathogens of economically important plants. <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> species are responsible for the destructive plant disease known as anthracnose. Successful management of anthracnose starts with accurately identifying the causative agent. This paper examined data from databases and scholarly outputs to provide a checklist of <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> species associated with plant diseases in the Philippines. Records show 55 <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> species (36 belonging to ten species complexes, two singleton species, and 17 morphospecies), and 12 unidentified <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> species, hosted by 106 plant species, with anthracnose as the primary disease. The <italic>Colletotrichum gloeosporioides</italic> species complex had the highest number of species reported. The checklist will be useful as a reference for students, lecturers, researchers, plant quarantine officers, growers, and decision/policy-makers. This checklist provides an understanding of the country's current diversity of <italic>Colletotrichum</italic> species, forms baseline information for future taxonomic studies in unexplored regions, and a reference for future discovery of new plant hosts.