Lichenicolous fungi on Verrucaria s. lat. in Ukraine with the description of Zwackhiomyces khodosovtsevii sp. nov. and a key to the lichenicolous fungi on Verrucaria s. lat.

Valerii Darmostuk

doi:10.2298/botserb2102293d

Abstract

A revision of lichenicolous fungi on Verrucaria s. lat. in Ukraine is provided. As a result, 12 species of lichenicolous fungi on Verrucaria s. lat. are reported from Ukraine. Among them, Zwackhiomyces khodosovtsevii on Verrucaria cf. nigrescens is described as new to science and Lichenopeltella coppinsii on V. muralis, Stigmidium marinum on V. mucosa as well as S. rivulorum on V. dolosa, are newly reported to Ukraine. Ten species are reported from xerotic terrestrial habitats mainly from Southern Ukraine. Only Stigmidium marinum and S. rivulorum were found in a marine and freshwater habitat respectively. Toninia subfuscae should be removed from the Ukrainian list of lichenicolous fungi due to misidentification. Didymosphaeria geminella is considered as a new synonym for Polycoccum dzieduszyckii. A worldwide key for lichenicolous fungi on Verrucaria s. lat. is provided.

Highlights

Lichenicolous fungi are a highly specialized group of fungi growing exclusively on lichens (Diederich et al 2018)
Endococcus rugulosus was described by Nylander (1855) on Verrucaria macrostoma s. lat
Toninia subfuscae has to be removed from the Ukrainian list of lichenicolous fungi

Summary

Introduction

Lichenicolous fungi are a highly specialized group of fungi growing exclusively on lichens (Diederich et al 2018) They are mostly restricted to a single host genus rather than a species. Such research is usually focused on a single host genus (Zhurbenko 2012; Zhurbenko & Pino-Bodas 2017) or sometimes on a single host species (Orange 2002; Khodosovtsev et al 2018). This allows us to establish the diversity of lichenicolous fungi in more detail and to describe new species. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies allow for the clarification of the once broad concept of Verrucaria s. lat. and allow us to distinguish phylogenetically more homogenous genera such as Bagliettoa, Hydropunctaria, Placopyrenium, Verruculopsis, etc. (Gueidan et al 2009)

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