Eriomycopsis species are hyperparasitic hyphomycetes associated with Meliola Fr. and other leaf pathogens. Deighton & Pirozynski (1972) redescribed the genus, treating most of the species described to that time and transferring several to other genera. The genus is characterised by colourless or pale mycelium, polyblastic, denticulate conidiophores, and more or less fusiform, several-septate, hyaline conidia. E. meliolinae is the only species to have been described from Meliolina, and has previously been reported only from Africa (Hughes 1993).

NOTES: There are some differences between the New Zealand material of E. meliolinae and the published descriptions of Hansford (1947) and Deighton & Pirozynski (1972). The mycelium is pale brown rather than hyaline. The arrangement of the conidiogenous cells is distinct from the description of Deighton & Pirozynski (1972), who described and illustrated the conidiogenous cells being held on elongate, several-septate conidiophores. In the New Zealand material the mycelium grows within the hyphae of Meliolina novae-zealandiae, emerging near the tips of the upright hyphal branches. The hyaline conidiogenous cells develop directly on small groups of pale brown cells of irregular shape and size, which develop around the upper part of the host hyphae. Observation at the margins of Eriomycopsis colonies suggests that the hyperparasite initially emerges from the tips of Meliolina hyphae, but that with time its external hyphae may cover a large part of the host hyphae.
The New Zealand material was not associated with the violet soluble dye noted by Hansford (1947). However, Deighton & Pirozynski (1972) noted that there were several distinct hyperparasitic fungi on the E. meliolinae type collection, and it is possible that the dye was associated with another of these fungi. Both of the other Meliolina hyperparasites described in this paper are associated with a deep red or violet dye when mounted in KOH.
Examination of collections of Meliolina novaezealandiae in Herbarium PDD revealed two hyphomycetous hyperparasites in addition to E. meliolinae, but their identity remains unresolved. Both of the unidentified species form bright, white patches amongst the dark Meliolina colonies. Both have hyaline, narrow, thin-walled hyphae which closely envelop the dark and thick-walled Meliolina hyphae. Both species have simple, long-cylindric conidiogenous cells arising directly from the vegetative hyphae, and hyaline, aseptate conidia about 4-6 x 2 µm. In one species (present on PDD 18495, 62067) the conidia are oblong-elliptic with rounded ends, and there is a prominent, flaring collarette at the single, apical conidiogenous locus. The second species (present on PDD 62603) has rhomboid-elliptic conidia with truncate ends, with the conidia often held in short chains at the apex of the conidiogenous cells. The wall of the conidiogenous cell is only slightly thickened at the single, apical conidiogenous locus. Many additional species of hyperparasites would no doubt be revealed by a systematic search for these fungi on the three Meliolina spp. in New Zealand.