Thallus: crustose, granulose, scattered in small groups, inconspicuous except for apothecia surface: pale green-gray or gray Apothecia: scarlet-red to coral red, 0.05-0.2(-0.3) mm wide, convex to globose true exciple: poorly developed epihymenium: bright golden yellow in water, 10-20 µm thick hymenium: +golden yellow in parts, (60-)70-85(-95) µm tall; paraphyses: 1(-1.5) µm wide, richly branched and anastomosing, particularly towards the apices subhymenium: colorless to pale yellow, 25-50 µm thick asci: broadly clavate, 60-85 x 18-30 µm, wall at apex 4-8 µm thick, sometimes with golden-yellow granular contents, 50-70-spored, ascospores: hyaline, simple, globose, (3-)4-4.5 µm in diam. Spot tests: all negative Secondary metabolites: unidentified pigments in apothecia. Substrate and ecology: in humid montane locations, like riparian areas or boggy areas, on bark of alder, oak, and Sambucus World distribution: Europe and North America (including North Dakota) Sonoran distribution: Arizona (at 2000 m) and southern California (San Jacinto Mountains) Notes: Strangospora microhaema occurs mixed with other lichens on rough, old bark. Though the apothecia are scarlet, they are very small and can be easily overlooked in the field.