Ciliomyces oropensis (Ces.) Höhn., Sber. Akad. Wiss.

Ciliomyces oropensis (Ces.) Höhn., Sber. Akad. Wiss. View in CoL Wien, Math.-naturw. Kl., Abt. 1 115: 673. 1906. MycoBank MB 232256. Figs 3A, 4C.

Basionym: Sphaeria (Nectria) oropensis Ces. , in Rabenhorst, Klotzschii Herb. Viv. Mycol., Edn Nov, Ser. Sec., Cent. 6: no. 524. 1857.

Synonyms: Cucurbitaria oropensis (Ces.) Kuntze , Revis . gen. pl. (Leipzig) 3 (3): 461. 1898.

Dialonectria oropensis (Ces.) Cooke , Grevillea View in CoL 12 (64): 111. 1884.

Nectria oropensis (Ces.) Sacc., Syll. Fung. (Abellini) 2: 511. 1883.

Paranectria oropensis subsp. parviseptata M.S. Cole & D. Hawksw., Mycotaxon View in CoL 77: 324. 2001.

Paranectria oropensis (Ces.) D. Hawksw. & Piroz., Canad. J. Bot. View in CoL 55 (19): 2555. 1977. Typus: Italy, Province of Biella, Piedmont, near the great Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Maria on Mount Oropa , Sep. 1856, V. Cesati (M, not examined).

Nectria lichenicola P. Crouan & H. Crouan, Florule de Finistère (Paris) : 256. 1867.

Dialonectria lichenicola (P. Crouan & H. Crouan) Cooke , Grevillea View in CoL 12 (64): 111. 1884.

Pleonectria lichenicola (P. Crouan & H. Crouan) Sacc. , Michelia View in CoL 1 (3): 325. 1878. Typus: France, Finistère , on the granular thallus of a lichen, on the trunk of a beech tree (type not located).

Pleonectria appendiculata Vouaux , Bulletin de la Société Mycologique de France 28: 193. 1912. Typus: France, France, on a thin unidentified thallus, on an old oak near Docelles in the Vosges, J. Harmand J. Harmand (type not located).

For detailed description see Hafellner & Obermayer (2009) and Navarro-Rosinés & Llimona (2018).

Distribution, habitat and host range: This is a common generalist species in the northern hemisphere, with scattered records from the southern hemisphere. It has been reported on many unrelated corticolous lichens ( Diederich 2003, Hafellner & Obermayer 2009, Brackel 2014) and rarely on saxicolous ones ( Navarro-Rosinés & Llimona 2018).

Specimens examined: Bolivia, Chuquisaca Department Chuquisaca, Zudañez Province, El Palmar Integrated Management Natural Area, Salviatójo near Lomán,, 18º45’51”S, 64º50’09”W, 2836 m a.s.l., disturbed Boliviano-Tucumano forest with Podocarpus and shrubs,on Normandina pulchella , 14 Jul. 2015, A. Flakus 26387 (KRAM L-74672; LPB). Spain, Cáceres, Monfragüe National Park, Saltos del Torrejón, near Tres Caños, Quercus ilex ssp. ballota wood pasture with quartzite stones. 39º50’39”N, 06º00’05”W, 230 m a.s.l., on Parmelina tiliacea on Quercus ilex , 9 May 2015, J. Etayo 29106 (hb. Etayo); Guipúzcoa, Peñas de Aia, Lesakako Bidea road, just before the tunnel 43º16’25”N, 1º47’35.5”W, 500 m a.s.l., on Hypotrachyna revoluta on Fagus sylvatica , 31 Aug. 2019, J. Etayo 31862 (hb. Etayo, sub Rossmaniella filispora ); Navarra, Basaburúa Mayor valley, between Aizároz and Arrarás, track to Bergañe, 550 m a.s.l., on unidentified lichen and bryophytes on Fagus , 20 Nov. 1994, J. Etayo 35899 (hb. Etayo); Lizarrusti pass, between Etxarri Aranaz and Beasain, 42º57’20”N, 2º05’00”W, 565 m a.s.l., on Physconia perisidiosa growing on Quercus robur , 5 Jan. 2017, J. Etayo 31139 (hb. Etayo); Ciaúrriz, track a few meters before the junction of the N-411 with the entrance to the town, oak grove with wet boxwood, 42º55’49”N, 1º37’18”W, 625 m a.s.l., on Anaptychia ciliaris on Quercus faginea , 25 Nov. 2018, J. Etayo 31593 (hb. Etayo); Teruel, between Albarracín and Bezas, 40º22’52”N, 1º24’02”W, 1350 m a.s.l., on Physconia grisea on sandstones under Pinus pinaster , 16 Aug. 2020, J. Etayo 32605 (hb. Etayo). Ukraine, Ternopil region, Ternopil district, vicinity of the Posukhiv village, 49.41122 N, 24.93305 E, on thallus of Lecania croatica , on Fagus bark, 5 Sept. 2020, V. Darmostuk 957 & O. Sira (KRAM L-74673).

Notes: Ciliomyces oropensis is a widely distributed and locally common species of lichenicolous Hypocreales . It plays an essential role in the dynamics of some corticolous lichen communities due to its ability to grow on various lichen hosts ( Hafellner & Obermayer 2009). It has been collected on a wide range of hosts and exhibits significant variability in terms of ascospore size and septation. Discussions regarding the species boundaries of C. oropensis have arisen due to the variation found in spores of specimens from Scotland [(22–)25–32(–36) × (9–)11–14(–15) µm, Hawksworth 1982] and from Spain [(21–)25–30.8–37.5(–45) × (7–)8–9.8–12(– 14) µm, Navarro-Rosinés & Llimona 2018]. This has led to discussions regarding the species boundaries of Paranectria oropensis . Cole & Hawksworth (2001) described a new subspecies, P. oropensis subsp. parviseptata , based on specimens from Taiwan, the USA, and Great Britain. This subspecies was characterized by shorter ascospores with fewer septa compared to the type subspecies. However, this taxonomic decision did not receive support in other studies that were based on larger sampling, indicating that differences in ascospore septation and size may be due to variations in ascus maturations ( Diederich 2003, Brackel 2008, Navarro-Rosinés & Llimona 2018).

So far, Ciliomyces oropensis is the only known species of the family Paranectriaceae in which the asexual morph is known. The asexual morph is acremonium-like with 1–3-septate, hyaline ellipsoid conidia measuring 20–22 × 4–6 µm, arising from long conidiogenous cells (70–80 µm long) forming on whitish tomentum generally alone, rarely between the ascomata of the fungus. This asexual morph was reported based on a few specimens from Italy ( Brackel 2015) and also found in our collections from Spain (hb. Etayo 31862). However, we were unable to obtain DNA sequences directly from the asexual morph and cannot confirm this connection by molecular data.