Biodiversity assessment of ascomycetes inhabiting Lobariella lichens in Andean cloud forests led to one new family, three new genera and 13 new species of lichenicolous fungi
Authors: Flakus Adam , Etayo Javier , Miadlikowska Jolanta , Lutzoni François , Kukwa Martin , Matura Natalia , Rodriguez-Flakus Pamela 
Published: December 2019

Neotropical mountain forests are characterized by having hyperdiverse and unusual fungi inhabiting lichens. The great majority of these lichenicolous fungi (i.e., detectable by light microscopy) remain undescribed and their phylogenetic relationships are mostly unknown. This study focuses on lichenicolous fungi inhabiting the genusLobariella(Peltigerales), one of the most important lichen hosts in the Andean cloud forests. Based on molecular and morphological data, three new genera are introduced:Lawreyellagen. nov. (Cordieritidaceae, forUnguiculariopsis lobariella),Neobaryopsisgen. nov. (Cordycipitaceae), andPseudodidymocyrtisgen. nov. (Didymosphaeriaceae). Nine additional new species are described (Abrothallus subhaleisp. nov.,Atronectria lobariellaesp. nov.,Corticifraga microsporasp. nov.,Epithamnolia rugosopycnidiatasp. nov.,Lichenotubeufia crypticasp. nov.,Neobaryopsis andensissp. nov.,Pseudodidymocyrtis lobariellaesp. nov.,Rhagadostomella hypolobariellasp. nov., andXylaria lichenicolasp. nov.). Phylogenetic placements of 13 lichenicolous species are reported here forAbrothallus,Arthonia,Globonectria,Lawreyella,Monodictys,Neobaryopsis,Pseudodidymocyrtis,Sclerococcum,TrichonectriaandXylaria. The nameSclerococcum ricasoliaecomb. nov. is reestablished for the neotropical populations formerly namedS. lobariellum(Sclerococcales). A key to sexual and asexual states of 40 species of lobariellicolous ascomycetous fungi is provided. Teleomorph-anamorph connections were established for several species using molecular methods and/or visual observations in nature. Additionally, we found that the anamorphic speciesCornutispora ophiurosporainhabitingLobariellawas often accompanied by ascomata ofSpirographa. Results of phylogenetic analyses, including newly generated sequences of severalCornutisporaandSpirographaspecies inhabiting various host lichens, support the conclusion thatCornutisporais a synonym ofSpirographa. Our Maximum Likelihood inference based on multiple loci show that all studiedSpirographa(includingCornutispora) belong to a new lineage withinOstropales. Based on these highly supported phylogenetic placements and the distinct character states of their conidiomata, in comparison with otherLecanoromycetes, a new family is proposed –Spirographaceaefam. nov. This new lineage includes broadly distributed mycoparasites, inhabiting various lichen and fungal hosts, and representing an early diversification event preceding the lichen-forming clade ofFissurinaceae,GomphillaceaeandGraphidaceae. Two lichenicolous species,Asteroglobulus giselaeandPleoscutula arsenii, were found to be nested within theSpirographaclade, and their teleomorph-anamorph connections were confirmed based on genotypic and phenotypic data. This phylogenetic result is corroborated by their highly similar ascomata anatomy. Together these results strongly indicate that both species are congeneric withSpirographa. As a result, four new species (S. aggregatasp. nov.,S. galligenasp. nov.,S. maroneaesp. nov., andS. parmotrematissp. nov.) and 15 new combinations are proposed (Spirographa ascaridiellacomb. nov.,S. arseniicomb. nov.,S. ciliatacomb. nov.,S. giselaecomb. nov.,S. hertelianacomb. nov.,S. hypotrachynaecomb. nov.,S. intermediacomb. nov.,S. lichenicolacomb. nov.,S. limaciformiscomb. nov.,S. ophiurosporacomb. nov.,S. pittiicomb. nov.,S. pyramidaliscomb. nov.,S. triangulariscomb. nov.,S. tricupulatacomb. nov., andS. vermiformiscomb. nov.). Species of the genusSpirographa, as outlined here, are strongly host-specific, mainly at the generic level of their host. Some host genera can harbour more than oneSpirographaspecies.