Pere Navarro-Rosinés

Phylogenetic study of Fulgensia and allied Caloplaca and Xanthoria species (Teloschistaceae, lichen-forming ascomycota)

Fulgensia Massal. & De Not. is a widespread genus with considerable morphological and ecological heterogeneity across species. For this reason, the taxonomic delimitation of this genus has been controversial. Relationships among species of Fulgensia, Caloplaca Th. Fr., and Xanthoria (Fr.) Th. Fr. (Lecanorales) were investigated based on a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 62 DNA sequences from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region using maximum parsimony (MP) and likelihood (ML). Ambiguously aligned (INAASE coded characters) and unambiguous regions were analyzed separately and combined when using MP as the optimization criterion. All our analyses confirm the polyphyly of this genus as three distinct lineages: Fulgensia sensu stricto, F. australis, and F. schistidii. We report here that Caloplaca, Fulgensia, and Xanthoria together form two main sister lineages. One lineage includes Fulgensia schistidii (part of the C. saxicola group), Xanthoria, and most of the lobed Caloplaca species belonging to the Gasparrinia group. A second main lineage comprises the remaining Caloplaca species, Fulgensia sensu stricto, and F. australis. Therefore, the traditional generic level classification schemes for the family Teloschistaceae appear to be highly artificial. All three genera were found to be nonmonophyletic. We demonstrate here that the ITS is appropriate to resolve relationships across the Teloschistaceae. However, a combination of an MP analysis, in which ambiguously aligned regions are accommodated using INAASE, with an ML analysis, in which phylogenetic confidence is estimated using a Bayesian approach, is needed.

Phylogenetic reassessment of the Teloschistaceae (lichen-forming Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes).

The Teloschistaceae is a widespread family with considerable morphological and ecological heterogeneity across genera and species groups. In order to provide a comprehensive molecular phylogeny for this family, phylogenetic analyses were carried out on sequences from the nuclear ribosomal ITS region obtained from 114 individuals that represent virtually all main lineages of Teloschistaceae. Our study confirmed the polyphyly of Caloplaca, Fulgensia and Xanthoria, and revealed that Teloschistes is probably non-monophyletic. We also confirm here that species traditionally included in Caloplaca subgenus Gasparrinia do not form a monophyletic entity. Caloplaca aurantia, C. carphinea and C. saxicola s. str. groups were recovered as monophyletic. The subgenera Caloplaca and Pyrenodesmia were also polyphyletic. In the subgenus Caloplaca, the traditionally recognized C. cerina group was recovered as monophyletic. Because this study is based solely on ITS, to maximize taxon sampling, the inclusion of phylogenetic signal from ambiguously aligned regions in MP (recoded INAASE and arc characters) resulted in the most highly supported phylogenetic reconstruction, compared with Bayesian inference restricted to alignable sites.

A synopsis of Lichenostigma subgen. Lichenogramma (Arthoniales) with a key to the species

A synopsis of the subgenus of lichenicolous fungi Lichenogramma is presented. It comprises eight species of Lichenostigma with oval to elongate ascomata connected to superficial strands of vegetative hyphae. Five of them are described here as new: Lichenostigma diploiciae (on Diploicia subcanescens); L. epipolina (on Diplotomma epipolium); L. gracilis (on Acarospora fuscata); L. rouxii (on Squamarina spp.); and L. subradians (on Acarospora spp., mainly subgen. Acarospora). The concept of the genus Lichenostigma is enlarged to accommodate also species with submuriform ascospores. A key to all the species of the subgenus is provided.

Align or not to align? Resolving species complexes within the Caloplaca saxicola group as a case study

The Caloplaca saxicola group is the main group of saxicolous, lobed-effigurate species within genus Caloplaca (Teloschistaceae, lichen-forming Ascomycota). A recent monographic revision by the first author detected a wide range of morphological variation. To confront the phenotypically based circumscription of these taxa and to resolve their relationships morphological and ITS rDNA data were obtained for 56 individuals representing eight Caloplaca species belonging to the C. saxicola group. We tested the monophyly of these eight morphospecies by performing maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and two different types of Bayesian analyses (with and without a priori alignments). Restricting phylogenetic analyses to unambiguously aligned portions of ITS was sufficient to resolve, with high bootstrap support, five of the eight previously recognized species within the C. saxicola group. However, phylogenetic resolution of all or most of the eight species currently included as two distinct subgroups within the C. saxicola group was possible only by combining morphological characters and signal from ambiguously aligned regions with the unambiguously aligned ITS sites or when the entire ITS1 and 2 regions were not aligned a priori and included as an integral component of a Bayesian analysis (BAli-Phy). The C. arnoldii subgroup includes C. arnoldii, comprising four subspecies, and the C. saxicola subgroup encompasses seven species. Contrary to the C. saxicola subgroup, monophyly of taxa included within the C. arnoldii subgroup and their relationships could not be resolved with combined ITS and morphological data. Unequivocal morphological synapomorphies for all species except C. arnoldii and C. pusilla are recognized and presented.

Lichenostigma rupicolae ( Lichenotheliaceae ), a new lichenicolous species growing on Pertusaria rupicola

The lichenicolous fungus Lichenostigma rupicolae Fdez.-Brime & Nav.-Ros., collected in France, Spain and Turkey, is described as new to science. It is found growing on the surface of the thalli and apothecia of Pertusaria rupicola , where it forms black patches of radiating plurihyphal strands connecting the fertile stromata. An updated key of the species of subgenus Lichenogramma is included.

Lichenochora epinashii sp. nov. y L. sinapispermae sp. nov. (Phyllachorales, ascomicetes), dos nuevos hongos liquenícolas sobre Caloplaca

Abstract Description of two new species of Lichenochora (Phyllachorales , lichenicolous fungi): Lichenochora epinashii Nav.-Ros. et Etayo sp. nov. and L. sinapispermae Etayo et Nav.-Ros. sp. nov. L. epinashii is so far known from Baja California (Mexico), growing on thallus of Caloplaca nashii Nav. Ros., Gaya et Hladun which occurs on caliche (desertic soil encrustment), and L. sinapispermae is described from Navarra (N Spain) and Alps of Haute Provence (SE France), occurring on thallus of Caloplaca sinapisperma , on (sub) alpine soil. By the spore size, (16.5)18.5–23(27) × (7)8.0–10.5(12) μm, L. epinashii is closely related to L. constrictella , a specific fungus of Fulgensia bracteata ; however, L. epinashii always shows 8-spored asci, never 4-spored like L. constrictella . By the spore size, (11,5)12–17(18) × (5,5)6–8(8,5) μm, L. sinapispermae is similar to L. epimarmorata and L. pyrenodesmiae , two species also growing on Teloschistaceae , but it differs from both by having a very distinguished, slightly prominent, torus in the septum of the spores. This character has never been observed in other known species of Lichenochora . Another characteristic feature distinguishing L. sinapispermae from the other related species is the ascomata size, these are bigger than the ascomata of the previously mentioned taxa. Lichenochora aff. epidesertorum is recorded based on a specimen from Genova (Italy), which differs from the typus by growing on different host, Caloplaca variabilis var. fulva , and by having no constantly 8-spored asci. A key to the species of Lichenochora growing on Teloschistaceae is provided.

Stromatanobium delgadoi n. gen., n. sp. du Pérou (Coleoptera : Ptinidae : Mesocoelopodinae)

Résumé Stromatanobium delgadoi n. gen. n. sp. est décrit. Cette espèce se développe dans les stromas produits par un Champignon Ascomycète sur Plukenetia volubilis L. (Euphorbiaceae), cultivé au Pérou pour ses graines oléagineuses. La morphologie des pro-, méso- et métasternum place le nouveau genre dans la sous-famille des Ptinidae Mesocoelopodinae. Le genre et l’espèce sont bien caractérisés par la structure des antennes des deux sexes, de l’édéage et par d’autres caractères dans la morphologie externe. Stromatanobium n. gen. semble être proche de Tricorynus Waterhouse 1849, mais il s’en distingue par les caractères mentionnés ci-dessus.