Campbell Island Research Articles

The genus Xenolecia (Lecideaceae s. lat., Lecanoromycetidae inc. sed.), including a second species in the genus from Campbell Island, New Zealand

AbstractThe new species Xenolecia cataractarum Fryday is described from Campbell Island. It differs from X. spadicomma, the only other species of the genus, in having much smaller apothecia and ascospores, an olivaceously pigmented epihymenium (brown in X. spadicomma), and a thallus with a non-amyloid medulla and norstictic acid (amyloid medulla and confluentic acid in X. spadicomma). Xenolecia spadicomma is reported here from several localities on the Falkland Islands and three from the Región de Los Lagos, Chile, which are the first reports of this species since its description from Isla Wellington in the south-west of Patagonia in 1868. A full description of X. spadicomma is also provided.

Relative live weight, fleece weight and reproductive rate of farmed feral sheep (Ovis aries L.)

ABSTRACTA sample of feral Hokonui, Campbell Island and Raglan sheep were captured after living feral > 40 years and managed on North and South Island farms alongside domesticated breeds for 28 years to understand relative performance in various traits. Fleece weight was significantly different (P < 0.001) between breeds (Hokonui, 1.48 kg; Campbell Island, 1.50 kg; and Raglan, 2.16 kg), lower than both domesticated Saxon Merino (3.26 kg) and Perendale (3.29 kg) in the North Island. Live weight was significantly different (P < 0.001) between flocks (Hokonui, 39.4 kg; Campbell Island, 38.6 kg; and Raglan, 43.0 kg), but intermediate between Saxon Merino (35.5 kg) and Perendale (51.6 kg). Reproductive rate depended on live weight and was also intermediate between the domesticated breeds, being significantly greater in the South Island (P < 0.001). Decreased fleece weight was common to farmed feral sheep from three different origins, suggesting this trait may have been an advantage during a feral existence.

Unique and isolated: population structure has implications for management of the endangered New Zealand sea lion

Female otariids (eared seals) frequently display strong levels of philopatry, a behaviour that has the potential to influence population structure, particularly at the mitochondrial level. Conversely, male otariids often move between breeding colonies, likely facilitating nuclear gene flow between colonies. Such gender-specific movements have the potential to influence species population structure. Here we investigate the genetic population structure of the endangered New Zealand (NZ) sea lion, using nuclear (microsatellite) and mitochondrial molecular markers, with the intention to better inform conservation through identification of management units for the species. The strong levels of female philopatry in this species have potential to lead to population structure at the mitochondrial loci. In contrast, weak or no population structure is expected across nuclear loci. NZ sea lions were sampled from the main breeding areas across the species’ current distribution (three Auckland Islands sites, two Campbell Island sites, one Stewart Island site and one Otago Peninsula site). Individuals were screened for microsatellite (n = 271; 16 loci) and mitochondrial (n = 56; 1027 bp D-loop and 1189 bp cytb). Despite a small (c. 9880 individuals) population size, moderate levels of microsatellite variation are observed in the NZ sea lions, in contrast to low levels of mitochondrial genetic variation. Results from mitochondrial DNA analyses revealed no population structure, suggesting that the strong level of female philopatry in NZ sea lions alone is not sufficient to maintain genetic population structure. Due to the frequent male movements between breeding colonies, no population structure was detected across the nuclear loci either. The absence of genetic structure suggests that, from a genetic perspective, NZ sea lions can be considered to be a single population. Despite this, the differing impacts of threats (e.g. fisheries by-catch) to each individual breeding colony must also be taken into consideration when defining management units for this endangered species.

Reconstructing atmospheric circulation over southern New Zealand: Establishment of modern westerly airflow 5500 years ago and implications for Southern Hemisphere Holocene climate change

Late-twentieth century changes in the intensity and migration of Southern Hemisphere westerly winds have been implicated in spatially complex variability in atmospheric and ocean circulation, and ice-sheet dynamics, across the mid- to high-latitudes. A major uncertainty, however, is whether present day hemispheric-wide symmetrical airflow is representative of past behaviour. Here we report a multi-proxy study from Stewart Island and southern Fiordland, New Zealand (46–47°S) reconstructing Holocene changes at the northern limit of westerly airflow. Increased minerogenic input and a pronounced shift in cool-loving vegetation around 5500 years ago is consistent with the establishment of westerly airflow at this latitude in the southwest Pacific. In marked contrast, stronger winds are reported further south over the subantarctic Auckland (50°S) and Campbell (52°S) Islands from 8000 years ago. Intriguingly, reconstructions from the east Pacific suggest a weakening of core westerly airflow after 8500 years ago, but an expansion along the northern limits sometime after 5500 years ago. Our results suggest similar atmospheric circulation changes have been experienced in the Pacific since 5500 years ago, but indicate an expanded network of sites is needed to comprehensively test the driver(s) and impact(s) of Holocene mid-latitude westerly winds across the Southern Hemisphere.

A remarkable, endohymenial species ofArthothelium(Arthoniales) from Campbell Island, New Zealand

AbstractA newArthotheliumspecies,A. hymeniicolain the apothecia of an unidentifiedBacidiasp., is described from Campbell Island, New Zealand. The new species is remarkable, not only by being the first lichenicolousArthotheliumspecies, but also by being an endohymenial fungus not forming ascomatal structures. Previously, noArthoniaceaespecies were reported as parasitic fromBacidiaspp. However, both generic and family placements are tentative and the possibility of a placement in theCookellaceaeis also discussed. Differences betweenArthoniaceaeandCookellaceae, and the generic delimitations within them, are generally based on the structures of the fruiting bodies, rendering the taxonomic placement of the new species challenging without molecular data; neither fruiting bodies nor molecular data are available for the new species and theCookellaceae.

Assessing the utility of two- and three-dimensional behavioural metrics in habitat usage models

For deep-diving, wide-ranging marine predators, foraging behaviour is often inferred from movement data. Various metrics are used to do this, and recently, metrics have been developed that consider both horizontal movement and vertical dive behaviour to better describe the use of the 3-dimensional environment these animals inhabit. However, the efficacy of these different metrics in predicting behavioural state is poorly understood. We used first passage time (2-dimensional) and first bottom time (3-dimensional) analyses on tracks derived from satellite-relayed data loggers to quantify and determine seal behavioural state while foraging at sea. Movement and dive data were collected from 38 southern elephant seals Mirounga leonina from Macquarie and Campbell Islands (in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean). Using a suite of environmental variables, linear mixed-effect models were derived for the 2 broad habitats visited by the seals: shelf and open ocean. The best-fitting models for each foraging metric in each habitat were then compared using a cross validation analysis to identify which foraging metric produced the best predictions of habitat use. In shelf habitats, the 3-dimensional foraging metric provided better predictions than the 2-dimensional metric, while the 2-dimensional foraging metric resulted in the best predictive capacity in the open ocean habitats. These findings highlight the importance of considering the appropriate foraging metrics when modelling foraging behaviour.

Grey petrel population on Campbell Island 14 years after rodent eradication

AbstractPopulations of grey petrels have declined globally due to both incidental capture in commercial fisheries and predation by introduced mammals at breeding sites. In the New Zealand region, grey petrels only breed on Campbell and Antipodes islands. Rats were successfully eradicated from Campbell Island in 2001. We assessed the spatial extent and conducted the first quantitative population estimate of the grey petrel population on Campbell Island and surrounding islets. There was an estimated c. 96 pairs (95% CI: 83, 109) of breeding grey petrels from the four colonies. Since work was conducted during the middle of the chick-rearing stage, this is an underestimate of the breeding population. The Campbell Island grey petrel breeding population remains small. Our study provides a baseline for future population estimates of grey petrels on Campbell Island.

Predation by New Zealand sea lions and Brown Skuas is causing the continued decline of an Eastern Rockhopper Penguin colony on Campbell Island

Identification of factors causing population declines is a critical prerequisite for conserving threatened species. The most likely cause of dramatic decreases in numbers of the ‘Vulnerable’ Southern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) in the twentieth century is oceanographic change reducing food availability. For example, the massive decline of the Eastern sub-species (E. c. filholi) on Campbell Island, New Zealand (94.6 %, 1942–2012), has been attributed to climate change. This decline reversed in the mid-1990s after a shift to favourable conditions, but a localized decline continued at a small, fragmented population in Penguin Bay, where one of five sub-colonies went extinct in 2010, and the number of breeding pairs fell from 7360 in 1984 to 3012 in 2012. Emerging concerns for Eudyptes penguins are the effects of increased predation from native predators. At Campbell Island, monitoring demonstrated that penguin eggs and chicks in smaller sub-colonies were most vulnerable to predation by Brown Skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi), so that average reproductive success was 25 % lower at the smallest sub-colony than at the largest. ‘Endangered’ New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) were estimated to depredate 6 % of the adult penguin population each year, which modelling identified as the most important driver of the population’s negative exponential growth rate (λ = 0.905, −9.5 % per year). Although occasional years of very poor food availability may exert a larger ‘bottom–up’ effect on penguin demographic rates, the ‘top–down’ effects of high avian and pinniped predation rates can be sufficient to drive the decline of small penguin populations.

Demography and ecology of southern right whales Eubalaena australis wintering at sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, New Zealand

Since the decimation of the southern right whale Eubalaena australis population in New Zealand by whaling, research on its recovery has focused on the wintering ground at the Auckland Islands, neglecting potentially important wintering habitat at Campbell Island. For the first time in 20 years we conducted an expedition to sub-Antarctic Campbell Island to document and describe E. australis occupying this wintering habitat. We used a variety of methods including photo-identification, genetic and stable isotope analyses of tissue samples, and visual surveys of abundance and distribution, to provide details on the demography, population connectivity and ecology of E. australis wintering at Campbell Island. Our primary findings include (1) a lack of calves observed at Campbell Island, (2) an age-class bias toward sub-adults encountered at Campbell Island, (3) nine photo-identification matches between individuals observed at Campbell Island and previously documented elsewhere in New Zealand, (4) no genetic differentiation between E. australis at Campbell Island and the broader New Zealand population, (5) increased abundance estimates of E. australis at Campbell Island over the last 20 years, and (6) indications that E. australis forage within the sub-Antarctic region based on stable isotope analyses. Our results confirm that the Auckland Islands are currently the only significant calving area for E. australis in New Zealand, and therefore previous abundance estimates based on demographic data from the Auckland Islands are applicable to the entire New Zealand population of E. australis. However, future periodic surveys to Campbell Island are recommended to monitor population recovery and expansion.

The canalized parental roles of a Eudyptes penguin constrain provisioning and growth of chicks during nutritional stress

Behavioral plasticity may allow organisms to respond adaptively to reduced food availability caused by climate change, facilitating population persistence. Conversely, inflexible parental roles may constrain sex-specific parental investment and amplify reduced reproductive fitness during nutritional stress. We examined chick-provisioning rates of transponder-tagged female and male eastern rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi) using an automated gateway on Campbell Island, New Zealand in a year of good diet quality and a poor year of nutritional stress. All seven species of Eudyptes penguins are unique in exhibiting canalized parental roles during the first 3–4 weeks of chick-rearing: males fast while guarding chicks provisioned exclusively by females. In the remaining 5–6 weeks before fledging, chicks form creches and are typically fed by both parents. Each species of Eudyptes is also “vulnerable” or “endangered”, generally because of long-term population declines linked to climate-induced nutritional stress. We hypothesized that the unique role division of Eudyptes penguins contributes to their sensitivity to nutritional stress. We found that chick growth was strongly positively correlated with total provisioning rate. Both sexes made longer foraging trips and provisioned less often under nutritional stress, but males decreased their investment in chick-provisioning more than females by making extra-long self-feeding trips early in the creche period. We show that Eudyptes chicks would be fed more often if the sexes shared all chick-provisioning, especially under nutritional stress. We conclude that the canalized division of labor strategy of Eudyptes penguins is maladapted to more frequent years of nutritional stress under climate change.

Individual repeatability in laying behaviour does not support the migratory carry‐over effect hypothesis of egg‐size dimorphism in Eudyptes penguins

Penguins of the genus Eudyptes are unique among birds in that their first‐laid A‐egg is 54–85% the mass of their second‐laid B‐egg. Although the degree of intra‐clutch egg‐size dimorphism varies greatly among the seven species of the genus, obligate brood reduction is typical of each, with most fledged chicks resulting from the larger B‐egg. Many authors have speculated upon why Eudyptes penguins have evolved and maintained a highly dimorphic 2‐egg clutch, and why it is the first‐laid egg that is so much smaller than the second, but only recently has a testable, proximate mechanism been proposed. In most species of Eudyptes penguins females appear to initiate egg‐formation at sea during return migration to breeding colonies. In macaroni penguins E. chrysolophus, females with a shorter pre‐laying interval ashore (and thus presumably greater overlap between migration and egg‐formation) lay more dimorphic eggs, suggesting a physiological conflict may constrain growth of the earlier‐initiated A‐egg. This migratory carry‐over effect hypothesis (MCEH) was tested in eastern rockhopper penguins E. chrysocome filholi on Campbell Island, New Zealand, by recording the arrival and lay dates, body sizes, and egg masses of transponder‐tagged females over two years. Females with longer pre‐laying intervals laid less dimorphic clutches, as predicted by the MCEH. However, repeated measures of individual females revealed that within‐individual variation in egg‐size dimorphism between years was unrelated to within‐individual variation in pre‐laying interval. Egg masses, and to a lesser extent egg‐size dimorphism, were highly repeatable traits related to body size and body mass. These results and a detailed consideration of the MCEH suggest that egg‐size dimorphism in Eudyptes penguins is unlikely to be caused by a migratory carry‐over effect.

Leaf and floral heating in cold climates: do sub-Antarctic megaherbs resemble tropical alpine giants?

High latitude and altitude floras are characterized by low-statured, small, wind-pollinated plants, which mainly reproduce by self-pollination or asexual reproduction. However, at odds with this are some sub-Antarctic islands that have plant species with giant growth forms and large, brightly coloured flowers which require insect visitation for pollination. The size, colour and shape of the inflorescences and leaves of these megaherbs suggest thermal benefits similar to giant tropical alpine plants of equatorial Africa, South America and Hawaii. We evaluated whether heating occurs in sub-Antarctic megaherbs, and to what extent it is related to environmental variables. We measured leaf and inflorescence temperature in six sub-Antarctic megaherb species on Campbell Island, latitude 52.3°S, New Zealand Biological Region. Using thermal imaging techniques, in combination with measurement of solar radiation, ambient air temperature, wind speed, wind chill and humidity, we assessed environmental influences on leaf and floral heating. We found that leaf and inflorescence temperatures of all megaherbs were higher than simultaneously measured ambient temperatures. Greatest heating was seen in Pleurophyllum speciosum, with observed leaves 9°C higher, and inflorescences nearly 11°C higher, than ambient temperature. Heating was highly correlated with brief, unpredictable periods of solar radiation, and occurred most rapidly in species with hairy, corrugated leaves and darkly pigmented, densely packed inflorescences. This is the first evidence that floral and leaf heating occurs in sub-Antarctic megaherbs, and suggests that leaf hairiness, flower colour and shape could provide thermal benefits like those seen in tropical alpine megaherbs. Keywords: Campbell Island; flower colour; thermal imaging; Pleurophyllum speciosum . (Published: 29 August 2016) To access the supplementary material for this article, please see the supplementary files in the column to the right (under Article Tools). Citation: Polar Research 2016, 35 , 26030, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v35.26030

Diet of New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) at their southern breeding limits

The New Zealand (NZ) sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is endemic to NZ and is listed as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Approximately 99 % of pups are born at the Auckland Islands (a declining population) and Campbell Island (a growing population). The causes of contrasting population trajectory are not well understood, though spatial and temporal variations in prey availability have frequently been implicated for other pinnipeds. This is the first published diet study of the Campbell Island population, located at the species’ southern breeding limit. Prey species were identified and quantified from scats and regurgitate samples collected in March 2013 (n = 159 and 7, respectively). An array of prey taxa was identified, though two species were particularly dominant in terms of reconstituted diet mass (M) of fishes and cephalopods: small-scaled cod (Notothenia microlepidota), which dominated scat samples (50 % M); and yellow octopus (Enteroctopus zealandicus), which dominated a small sample of regurgitates (72 % M). The diet lacked many of the key prey taxa of the Auckland Islands, and we hypothesise that the key prey identified here provides a highly available food source for the growing population of NZ sea lions at Campbell Island. These differences are likely to reflect spatial heterogeneity in prey availability and may be one of the main causes of an increase in NZ sea lion population size at Campbell Island in contrast to a decrease at the Auckland Islands.

A diatom–conductivity transfer function for reconstructing past changes in the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds over the Southern Ocean

ABSTRACTSub‐Antarctic islands are ideally placed to reconstruct past changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly wind behaviour. They lie within their core belt (50–60°S) and the strong winds deliver sea salt ions to the islands resulting in a west to east conductivity gradient in their water bodies. This means that the stronger (or weaker) the winds, the higher (or lower) the conductivity values measured in the water bodies. A survey of the water chemistry and diatom assemblages of lakes and ponds on sub‐Antarctic Campbell Island (52°32′S, 169°8′E) revealed that, similar to other sub‐Antarctic islands, conductivity was the most important, statistically significant ecological variable explaining turnover in diatom community structure. Based on this, a diatom–conductivity transfer function was developed (simple weighted averaging with inverse deshrinking: R2 = 0.86, R2jack = 0.66, RMSEP = 0.25 log10 μS cm−1). This transfer function will be applied to lake sediment cores from the western edge of the Campbell Island plateau to reconstruct past conductivity/sea spray and therefore directly reconstruct changes in Southern Hemisphere westerly wind strength within their core belt.

Early Records ofRacomitrium s. lat.(Grimmiaceae, Musci) in the Southern Hemisphere and the Correct Author Citations forR. crispulumandR. rupestre

A history of the discoveries and descriptions of species of the broadly conceived genus Racomitrium Brid. in the Southern Hemisphere in 1800-1850 is briefly outlined. Dryptodon crispulus Hook.f. et Wilson and D. rupestris Hook.f. et Wilson are the two earliest described species in the Southern Hemisphere, from the Campbell Islands south of New Zealand and Isla Hermite in the Cape Horn area in southern South America, respectively, which are still accepted in modern moss taxonomy. The taxonomic and nomenclatural history of these species is discussed and it is proved that the authorship of their names in Racomitrium should be ascribed to “(Hook.f. et Wilson) Wilson”, not to “(Hook.f. et Wilson) Hook.f. et Wilson”, as commonly used in the bryological literature. The problem of the valid publication of Bucklandiella crispula (Hook.f. et Wilson) Bednarek- Ochyra et Ochyra is briefly considered and Dryptodon rupestris Hook.f. et Wilson is lectotypified.

Sequencing of historic and modern specimens reveals cryptic diversity in Nothogenia (Scinaiaceae, Rhodophyta)

:Nothogenia fastigiata has been reported to exhibit great morphological variability and has been considered to be widely distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. To test its current circumscription, sequences from type material of N. fastigiata and other species currently synonymized with it were compared to those from recent collections of this and other species in the genus. Eight distinct species previously subsumed under the name N. fastigiata were identified. Multiple specimens from southern Chile and a single specimen from Campbell Island (subantarctic New Zealand) were conspecific with type material of N. fastigiata from the Falkland Islands. For other species, molecular analyses of recent collections using the nuclear ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of the ribosomal cistron, the chloroplast rbcL and psbA genes and the mitochondrial COI gene indicated a strong geographic pattern to species relationships. Other specimens identified as N. fastigiata from Chile represented up to five species, including N. chilensis and N. fragilis, based on sequences of type material; these Chilean species occurred on a monophyletic branch. We also recognized N. lingula comb. nov. from Tasmania, which is closely related to N. fastigiata, based on sequences of type material. Specimens from mainland New Zealand identified as N. fastigiata fell into a distinct clade with New Zealand N. pulvinata and represented a previously undescribed species, described here as N. neilliae sp. nov. Another New Zealand species, N. pseudosaccata, was distantly related to N. variolosa from Auckland Island and other subantarctic islands south of New Zealand. The New Zealand species were more closely related to South African N. erinacea and N. ovalis than to species of Nothogenia from Chile, including N. fastigiata, although bootstrap support for this interpretation was weak. These genetic data demonstrate that matching DNA sequences from archival Nothogenia material to modern specimens can be used to identify and define new and old cryptic species.

Population dynamics of Eastern Rockhopper Penguins on Campbell Island in relation to sea surface temperature 1942–2012: current warming hiatus pauses a long-term decline

Major population changes of marine mega-fauna are ongoing as global warming, and other anthropogenic drivers affect prey availability. The historical stronghold of the Eastern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi) was New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, but the population declined by 94 % between 1942 and 1984. The apparent mechanism of collapse was warm ocean temperatures causing an inadequate food supply. Eudyptes penguin population declines are ongoing at some breeding sites, highlighting the need to investigate the population trend on Campbell Island since 1984. We estimated the Eastern Rockhopper Penguin breeding population size through physical and photo-counts of birds and nests in 2012, and changes in colony area relative to 1984 and 1996 photographs. We estimated the 2012 population size at 33,239 breeding pairs, a 21.8 % decrease from an (adjusted) estimate of 42,528 pairs in 1984. Although substantial, the recent 1984–2012 decline occurred at a much slower rate (λ = 0.991) than the 1942–1984 decline (λ = 0.940). Despite great variation in trends between colonies ostensibly linked to differences in predation rates, the recent decline occurred primarily between 1984 and 1996, and thereafter the overall population grew. A 100-year time series of extended reconstructed sea surface temperatures (ERSST) confirmed that the population declined during warm periods and increased during cool periods, but that the initial decline began before increases in regional ERSST. Population growth after 1996 appears related to the current global warming hiatus, lower ERSST, and increased abundance of a key prey species. We predict a continuation of the long-term population decline after warming resumes.

Transfer of the subantarctic red alga Grateloupia aucklandica to the genus Glaphyrosiphon (Halymeniales, Rhodophyta)

:An investigation of the red alga Grateloupia aucklandica from New Zealand subantarctic islands revealed that this species belongs in the genus Glaphyrosiphon. Phylogenetic analysis using rbcL data indicated that Grateloupia aucklandica, found on Auckland and Campbell Islands (50–52.5°S), was more closely related to Gl. chilensis, a species reported from Chile, than to either of the two New Zealand species, Gl. intestinalis and Gl. lindaueri.

Higher trophic level prey does not represent a higher quality diet in a threatened seabird: implications for relating population dynamics to diet shifts inferred from stable isotopes

Diet quality is a key determinant of population dynamics. If a higher trophic level, more fish-based diet is of higher quality for marine predators, then individuals with a higher trophic level diet should have a greater body mass than those feeding at a lower trophic level. We examined this hypothesis using stable isotope analysis to infer dietary trophic level and foraging habitat over three years in eastern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome filholi on sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, New Zealand. Rockhopper penguins are ‘Vulnerable’ to extinction because of widespread and dramatic population declines, perhaps related to nutritional stress caused by a climate-induced shift to a lower trophic level, lower quality diet. We related the stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotope values of blood from 70 chicks, 55 adult females, and 55 adult males to their body masses in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 breeding seasons and examined year, stage, age, and sex differences. Opposite to predictions, heavier males consumed a lower trophic level diet during incubation in 2011, and average chick mass was heavier in 2011 when chicks were fed a more zooplankton-based, pelagic/offshore diet than in 2012. Contrary to the suggested importance of a fish-based diet, our results support the alternative hypothesis that rockhopper penguin populations are likely to be most successful when abundant zooplankton prey are available. We caution that historic shifts to lower trophic level prey should not be assumed to reflect nutritional stress and a cause of population declines.

A contribution to the familyLecideaceaes. lat. (Lecanoromycetidaeinc. sed., lichenized Ascomycota) in the southern subpolar region; including eight new species and some revised generic circumscriptions

AbstractEight new species ofLecideaceaeare described from the southern subpolar region:Bryobilimbia coppinsianaFryday, a saxicolous species with one septate ascospores (Campbell Island, New Zealand);Immersaria fuliginosaFryday, with a thallus composed of thalloconidia (Falkland Islands);Lecidea aurantiaFryday, with an orange thallus (Auckland Islands, New Zealand);L. campbellensisFryday, with an endolithic thallus and apothecia resembling those of a species ofPorpidia(Campbell Island);Poeltiaria ochyraeHertel, which is similar toP. subinconguabut with a thick areolate thallus (South Orkney and South Shetland Islands);P. tasmanicaFryday, which is similar toP. urbanskyanabut with smaller ascopores (Tasmania);Poeltidea inspersaFryday with an enolithic thallus and a hymenium with large oil globules (Falkland Islands); andPorpidia vulcanoidesHertel &amp; Fryday with immersed apothecia with a thick margin and large ascospores (SW Chile).Lecidea kalbiiHertel is resurrected from the synonymy ofL. manniiTuck. and treated as a distinct species. The circumscription of genera within theLecideaceaeis also discussed:Poeltiariais shown to be heterogeneous, and the generaLabyrinthaandNotolecideaare reduced to synonymy withPoeltideaandPoeltiariarespectively, and the new combinationsPoeltidia implexa(Malcolmet al.) Hertel &amp; Fryday andPoeltiaria subcontinua(Hertel) Hertel &amp; Fryday made. A key to the genera ofLecideaceaes. lat. is provided.