Opuscula Philolichenum, 17: 368-373. 2018. *pdf effectively published online 12November2018 via (http://sweetgum.nybg.org/philolichenum/) Contributions to the knowledge of lichenicolous fungi on Thamnolia MIKHAIL P. ZHURBENKO1 AND YOSHIHITO OHMURA2 ABSTRACT. – Capronia thamnoliae, Cercidospora thamnoliae and Cercidospora thamnoliicola are reported new to Japan; Endococcus thamnoliae new to Papua New Guinea; Merismatium thamnoliicola new to Norway; Polycoccum vermicularium new to Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Japan, Nepal and Papua New Guinea; Sphaerellothecium thamnoliae var. taimyricum new to Nepal; S. thamnoliae var. thamnoliae new to Australia, Falkland Islands, Japan and Papua New Guinea; Sphaeropezia santessonii new to Japan; Stigmidium frigidum new to Japan; Thamnogalla crombiei new to Australia, Bhutan, India, Japan, Nepal, North Korea and Papua New Guinea. Cornutispora ciliata is newly reported from Thamnolia. Material of Polycoccum vermicularium is shown to be morphologically heterogeneous. KEYWORDS. – Biodiversity, biogeography, lichenicolous mycobiota. INTRODUCTION Thamnolia Ach. ex Shaer. (Icmadophilaceae) is among the host lichen genera with the highest diversity of known lichenicolous fungi (Diederich et al. 2018b). At least 26 species of these fungi have been documented from Thamnolia (Diederich et al. 2018a; Zhurbenko 2012, 2017; also herein). Although thamnoliicolous fungi have been specifically treated by Ihlen (1995) and Zhurbenko (2012), including an identification key presented in the latter, their distribution and frequency is still poorly known. Here we provide new distributional records, range extensions and taxonomic notes on thamnoliicolous fungi that were found in conjunction with examining material at several major herbaria. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study is based on 81 specimens of lichenicolous fungi found on Thamnolia deposited in H (33 specimens) and TNS (48 specimens). Microscopical examination was carried out using a Zeiss Axio Imager A1 microscope equipped with Nomarski differential interference contrast optics (DIC) in water, 10% KOH, Lugol’s iodine, directly or after a KOH pre-treatment or brilliant cresyl blue. The length, breadth and length/breadth ratio (l/b) of ascospores are given as: (min−){X−SD}−{X+SD}(−max), where “min” and “max” are the extreme observed values, X the arithmetic mean and SD the corresponding standard deviation. Measurements were taken from water mounts. NOTES AND NEW DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORDS Recent phylogenetic studies published by Onut-Brännström et al. (2018) have drastically changed the taxonomy of Thamnolia, which currently comprises three species: 1) T. subuliformis (Ehrh.) W.L.Culb. s.str. including two chemotypes with baeomycesic and squamatic acids (UV+) or thamnolic acid (UV−) 1MIKHAIL P. ZHURBENKO – Laboratory of the Systematics and Geography of Fungi, Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Popov Street, 2, St. Petersburg, 197376, Russia. – e- mail: [email protected] 2YOSHIHITO OHMURA – Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0005, Japan. – e-mail: [email protected] 368 and exhibits a distribution that is circumpolar in the Arctic and in the alpine areas of both hemispheres; 2) T. tundrae Brännström & Tibell containing baeomycesic and squamatic acids (UV+) and known from the Eurasian Arctic and the Aleutian Islands; 3) T. vermicularis (Sw.) Schaer. s.str. containing thamnolic acid (UV−) and known from the high alpine regions of Central Europe (the Alps, Tatra Mountains and the Western Carpathian Mountains). These species are morphologically cryptic, in part sympatric, and can only be confidently identified using molecular data. As such the original identifications of Thamnolia host species for the taxa reported here should be revised. However, such revision is problematic because many specimens have not been sequenced. Due to this, and the fact that most of thamnoliicolous fungi species appear not to be restricted to a single host species, we omit below the species names of the hosts in the specimen citations below. Capronia thamnoliae Zhurb. NOTE. – The species was formerly known from several finds in Canada, Norway, Russia and the U.S.A. (Zhurbenko 2012) and is here newly reported for Japan. Specimens examined (all on decaying podetia of Thamnolia spp.). ‒ JAPAN. HONSHU: Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture), Yatsugatake Mountains, Mount Yoko-dake, Chino-shi, 35°59′N 138°22′E, elev. 2700 m, 5.viii.1990, H. Shibuichi 8782a (TNS); Shinano Province (Nagano Prefecture), Yatsugatake Mountains, Mountain Ioh-dake, 36°00′N 138°22′E, elev. 2700 m, 9.viii.1988, H. Shibuichi 8427 (TNS). U.S.A. ALASKA: Juneau Icefield, summit of mountain above Taku Glacier, 58°42′N 134°13′W, elev. 1460 m, 19.vii.1962, H.A. Imshaug 28916a (TNS). Cercidospora thamnoliae Zhurb. NOTE. – The species was formerly known from Norway and Russia (Ihlen 1995, Zhurbenko 2012) and is here newly reported for Japan. Specimen examined. ‒ JAPAN. HONSHU: Iwashiro Province (Fukushima Prefecture), Iide Mountains, Mount Iide, Yama-gun, 37°51′N 139°42′E, elev. 2000 m, 26.viii.1975, H. Shibuichi 5127a (TNS). Cornutispora ciliata Kalb NOTES. – The species grows on various lichen genera (Diederich et al. 2018b) and is here newly reported from Thamnolia. The only species of Cornutispora previously known to occur on Thamnolia is C. intermedia Punith. & D.Hawksw. (Etayo 2010). Specimen examined. ‒ U.S.A. ALASKA: Alaska Range, Mountain Hayes Quadrangle, Gerstle River outwash gravel, 63°51′N 144°53′W, elev. 375 m, 23.vi.1966, L.A. Viereck 7971a (H). Endococcus thamnoliae Etayo & R.Sant. NOTES. – Based on the material that we have examined, the range of variation in the size of the ascospores is somewhat larger than indicated in the protologue ((7.4‒)8.8‒11.0(‒13.2) × (3.2‒)3.7‒4.5(‒5.4) µm, l/b = (1.8‒)2.1‒2.7(‒3.4), n = 133 vs. 9‒12.5 × 3.5‒5 µm fide Etayo 2010). The species was formerly known from Peru (Etayo 2010) and is here reported for the first time outside South America from Papua New Guinea. Specimens examined. ‒ PAPUA NEW GUINEA. WESTERN HIGHLAND DISTRICT: between Pindaunde Lakes and summit of Mount Wilhelm, elev. 4100‒4200 m, 31.xii.1973, H. Kashiwadani 11006 (TNS), H. Kashiwadani 10831 (TNS). CENTRAL DISTRICT: Mount Albert Edward, elev. 3000‒3450 m, 25.x.1975, S. Kurokawa 9401 (TNS). PERU. JUNIN REGION: Jauja Province, 30 km (road distance) NNW of Jauja, 11°35′S 75°35′W, elev. 4100 m, 10.ii.1981, R. Santesson et al. s.n. (H); Tarma Province, between La Oroya and Junin, S of the turn towards San Pedro, 11°17′S 75°56′W, elev. 4200 m, 16.ii.1981, R. Santesson & R. Moberg s.n. (H). Lichenopeltella thamnoliae R.Sant. NOTE. – The species is known only from South America, where it is rather widely distributed (Etayo 2010, 2017; Santesson 1998; Zhurbenko 2012). Specimens examined. ‒ COLOMBIA. BOYACÁ DEPARTMENT: Páramo de Pisva, 5 km E of Los Pinos, elev. 3750 m, 14.vi.1972, A.M. Cleef 4540 (H); Páramo de la Sarna between Sogamoso and Vado Hondo, 5 km NE of Laguna de Tota, elev. 3550 m, 29.iii.1973, A.M. Cleef 9203 (H). VENEZUELA. MÉRIDA: near Pico el Aguilo, elev. 4025 m, 18.viii.1989, R. Ornduff s.n. (H). 369 Merismatium thamnoliicola Alstrup & E.S.Hansen NOTE. – The species was formerly known from Greenland and Russia (Alstrup & Hansen 2001, Zhurbenko 2012) and is here newly reported for Norway. Specimen examined. ‒ NORWAY. SÖR-TRÖNDELAG: Kongsvoll, vii.1933, E.P. Vrang s.n.[c] (H). Polycoccum vermicularium (Linds.) D.Hawksw. NOTES. – The dimensions of the ascospores calculated from all the examined specimens vary considerably ((12.9‒)15.4‒18.8(‒22.0) × (6.4‒)7.3‒8.7(‒9.6) µm, l/b = (1.6‒)2.0‒2.4(‒2.8), n = 238). However, in the material from South America the length on average was somewhat shorter (14.6‒18.2 µm) than in the material from the northern Holarctic (16.4‒19.8 µm), which suggests that the material is taxonomically heterogeneous. It is also noteworthy that typically ascomata are aggregated in dense groups and often protruding in the ostiolar area, but in some well-developed specimens from South America (e.g., Cleef 1786, Imshaug 40468b, Imshaug 41387 & Harris, Imshaug 53198 & Ohlsson) they are exclusively dispersed and not protruding. The species is widely distributed in both hemispheres (Alstrup & Hawksworth 1990, Etayo 2010, Etayo & Sancho 2008, Flakus & Kukwa 2012, Hafellner 1994, Hawksworth & Diederich 1988, Santesson et al. 2004, Zhurbenko 2012) and is here newly reported for Argentina, Australia, Colombia, Japan, Nepal and Papua New Guinea. Specimens examined. ‒ ARGENTINA. ISLA DE LOS ESTADOS: Cabo San Bartolome, N slope of W end of peninsula, 54°54′S 64°42′W, 5.xi.1971, H. Imshaug 53198 & K. Ohlsson (H). AUSTRALIA. VICTORIA: Bogong High Plains, Mount McKay, 27.i.1967, R. Filson 9654 (H). CANADA. ONTARIO: Kenora District, Fort Severn, 56°00′N 87°28′W, 2.viii.1958, T. Ahti s.n.[b] (H). CHILE. MAGALLANES REGION: near base of Monte Aymond, 52°09′S 69°29′W, 9.x.1971, H. Imshaug 49809 & K. Ohlsson (H). COLOMBIA. BOYACÁ DEPARTMENT: Paramos al NW de Belen, vereda S. Jose de la Montana, alto de las Cruces y alrededores Cabeceras Q. El Toral, elev. 3830 m, 24.xi or ii.1972, A.M. Cleef 1786 (TNS). FALKLAND ISLANDS. East Falklands, Stanley, summit of Mount Kent, elev. 460 m, 14.i.1968, H.A. Imshaug 40468 & R.C. Harris (TNS); West Falklands, Port Howard, summit of Mount Maria, elev. 630 m, 28.i.1968, H.A. Imshaug 41387 & R.C. Harris (TNS). NEPAL. Himalaya, between Sangda and Kagbeini, elev. 4300 m, 12.v.1953, S. Nakao s.n. (TNS); Gandaki & Dhawalagiri Zones, Manang & Mustang Districts, Thorung Phedi (4370 m)‒Thorung La (5110 m)‒above Muktinath (3720 m), elev. 4850 m, 19.viii.1994, M. Mikage et al. 9460415-13a (TNS).