Lichenicolous fungi of Ukraine:an annotated checklist

The checklist is based on 137 references and it includes data on the distribution of 220 taxa of lichenicolous fungi in Ukraine.Four species are based on dubious records.The Crimea(80 species)and Carpathians Mts(64 species)have highest observed species diversity of the lichenicolous fungi.Among plain territories,most species-rich regions are Kherson(64 species)and Mykolaiv(37 species),and both regions were intensively surveyed for lichenicolous fungi.Most frequent host genera recorded are Lecanora s.lat.(23 species),Cladonia(17 species),Xanthoria s.lat.(15 species),Aspicilia s.lat.(14 species)and Caloplaca s.lat.(13 species).Most diverse taxonomical groups of lichenicolous fungi recorded are Capnodiales(21 species),Arthoniales(18 species)and Hypocreales(13 species).Katherinomyces cetrariae,Lichenochora hypanica,Lichenostigma svandae,Norrlinia medoborensis,Phoma pisutii,Pronectria diplococca,P.caloplacae,Rosellinula frustulosae,Sphaerellothecium aculeatae,Pleospora xanthoriae,Trichoconis hafellneri and Zwackhiomyces polischukii were described from type localities in Ukraine.

The sooty moulds

Sooty moulds are a remarkable,but poorly understood group of fungi.They coat fruits and leaves superficially with black mycelia,which reduces photosynthesis rates of host plants.Few researchers have,however,tried to quantify their economic importance.Sooty moulds have been well-studied at the morphological level,but they are poorly represented in a natural classification based on phylogeny.Representatives are presently known in Antennulariellaceae,Capnodiaceae,Chaetothyriaceae,Coccodiniaceae,Euantennariaceae,Metacapnodiaceae and Trichomeriaceae and several miscellaneous genera.However,molecular data is available for only five families.Most sooty mould colonies comprise numerous species and thus it is hard to confirm relationships between genera or sexual and asexual states.Future studies need to obtain single spore isolates of species to test their phylogenetic affinities and linkages between morphs.Next generation sequencing has shown sooty mould colonies to contain many more fungal species than expected,but it is not clear which species are dominant or active in the communities.They are more common in tropical,subtropical and warm temperate regions and thus their prevalence in temperate regions is likely to increase with global warming.Sooty moulds are rarely parasitized by fungicolous taxa and these may have biocontrol potential.They apparently grow in extreme environments and may be xerophilic.This needs testing as xerophilic taxa may be of interest for industrial applications.Sooty moulds grow on sugars and appear to out-compete typical“weed”fungi and bacteria.They may produce antibiotics for this purpose and their biochemical potential for obtaining novel bioactive compounds for medical application is underexplored.

Families of Dothideomycetes

Dothideomycetes comprise a highly diverse range of fungi characterized mainly by asci with two wall layers(bitunicate asci)and often with fissitunicate dehiscence.Many species are saprobes,with many asexual states comprising important plant pathogens.They are also endophytes,epiphytes,fungicolous,lichenized,or lichenicolous fungi.They occur in terrestrial,freshwater and marine habitats in almost every part of the world.We accept 105 families in Dothideomycetes with the new families Anteagloniaceae,Bambusicolaceae,Biatriosporaceae,Lichenoconiaceae,Muyocopronaceae,Paranectriellaceae,Roussoellaceae,Salsugineaceae,Seynesiopeltidaceae and Thyridariaceae introduced in this paper.Each family is provided with a description and notes,including asexual and asexual states,and if more than one genus is included,the type genus is also characterized.Each family is provided with at least one figure-plate,usually illustrating the type genus,a list of accepted genera,including asexual genera,and a key to these genera.A phylogenetic tree based on four gene combined analysis add support for 64 of the families and 22 orders,including the novel orders,Dyfrolomycetales,Lichenoconiales,Lichenotheliales,Monoblastiales,Natipusillales,Phaeotrichales and Strigulales.The paper is expected to provide a working document on Dothideomycetes which can be modified as new data comes to light.It is hoped that by illustrating types we provide stimulation and interest so that more work is carried out in this remarkable group of fungi.

Phylogeny and taxonomy of meristematic rock-inhabiting black fungi in the Dothideomycetes based on multi-locus phylogenies

The last decade has revealed an unexpected fungal diversity associated with natural rocks,often collected in environments influenced by harsh climatic conditions.Yet the phylogenetic affiliations and the taxonomy of many of these extreme fungi,mainly within Dothideomycetes,the largest class of Ascomycota,have only partially been described.In the present study we confirm that most rock inhabiting-fungi(RIF)are highly polyphyletic among Dothideomycetidae,mainly within the order Capnodiales,an order otherwise incorporating several families of major plant pathological importance.Novel taxa were identified within the two major and distinct clades of Teratosphaeriaceae,both comprising meristematic black fungi.Thirty one novel species and 13 new genera are proposed,based on ITS and partial nucLSU,RPB2 and BT2 sequences.