A group of plant diseases caused by Colletotrichum fungi, recognised by dark, sunken spots on leaves, stems and fruit. It ranks among the most damaging postharvest diseases: latent infections picked up in the orchard erupt during ripening and storage, ruining bananas, mangoes, citrus and other tropical produce. Control starts in the field with sanitation and canopy management to reduce inoculum, continues with rapid postharvest cooling, and may include hot-water dips or permitted fungicide treatments. Because symptoms often appear only after shipping, anthracnose is a major source of hidden losses and rejected consignments in fresh-produce trade.