TYPE. SPAIN. Gipuzkoa: Oiartzun, Oieleku, wood near the fountain, on soredia of Flavoparmelia caperata on Fagus sylvatica, 520–550 m, 43º15’10” N, 1º49’36” W, 1.VII.2006, J. Etayo & A. Etayo [K(M) 164014, holotype; hb. Etayo 23364, isotype].
Life form. Lichenicolous fungus.
Description. [Modified from Hawksworth & Etayo (2010)] Thallus absent. Photobiont absent. Ascomata absent. Mycelium arising on soredia of the host lichen, growing on the surface over one or sometimes more soredia, hyphae discrete, subhyaline to pale fuscous brown, smooth-walled, sparsely septate, even in thickness to almost torulose in parts, 1·5–2·5(–3) µm thick. Conidiophores macronematous, mononematous, originating singly, or more rarely in groups of 2–3, arising vertically from a single red-brown rhomboidal basal cell, 6–7 µm wide; unbranched, rigid, 0–2(–5)-septate, not constricted at the septa, red-brown, smooth-walled, wall ~0.3 µm thick, sometimes proliferating and growing through a broken lower cell, 15–25(–45) µm tall and 3–3·5(–4·5) µm thick, the apical part swollen to 4·5–6·5 µm wide; the apical part and the conidiogenous cells and conidia, at first enclosed in a subspherical enveloping sheath, 20–40 µm diam., the sheath membranous and hyaline, 2·5–3 µm thick, at maturity becoming broken and then appearing as irregular collar-like remnants adhering to the conidiophores just below the swollen apical part, and finally disappearing. Conidiogenous cells arising directly from the expanded apex of the conidiophores, 4–6(–8) on a single conidiophore, subglobose to broadly ampulliform, brown, polyblastic with 1–several conidiogenous loci, discrete, not proliferating, individually (2·5–)4–6 µm diam., the conidiogenous loci mainly on the apical part, the positions of released conidia indicated by minute circular scars ~0.5 µm diam. Conidia solitary, not in chains, narrowly ellipsoid to elongate-reniform or elongate-soleiform, rounded at the apex and rounded to slightly truncate at the base, (0–)1-septate, smooth-walled, greyish brown, 5–9 × 2–3 µm, cessation schizolytic.
Hosts.Flavoparmelia caperata soredia and Cladonia squamules. Infected hosts show discolored thalli with pin-like conidiogenous structures observable at 40X under a dissecting microscope.
Distribution. Europe (Spain) and North America (North Carolina); in North Carolina found in the Blue Ridge ecoregion. Distribution is likely more widespread as the species is likely overlooked due to its small size.
Literature
Hawksworth, D.L. & J.A. Etayo (2010) Calongia gibelluloides gen. sp. nov., a remarkable minute new lichenicolous conidial fungus from northern Spain. The Lichenologist42(4): 355-359 (original description).
Hawksworth, D.L. & J.A. Etayo (2011) Calongea, Calongia, and Calongeomyces nom. nov. The Lichenologist43(3): 275-276.