Ovicuculispora cf. macrospora Etayo, Bull. Soc.

Ovicuculispora cf. macrospora Etayo, Bull. Soc. View in CoL linn. Provence 61: 111. 2010. Figs 3C, 4E, 5.

Typus: Peru, San Martín, Prov . San Martín, Cerro Escalera (NE of Tarapoto), NW of the tunnel, 6°26’S, 76°15’W, ca 1000 m a.s.l., on saxicolous sterile crust, 15 Mar. 1981, R. Santesson & G. Thor P74:80 (holotype UPS) GoogleMaps .

Ascomata globose to cupulate when dry, scattered or in groups of 2–5 ascomata, saffron to more orange, 0.3–0.5 mm in diam, ascomata fully covered by whitish hyphae which formed the arachnoid tomentum at basal part of the ascomata; tomentum formed by a dense network of long, simple to branched, hyaline, septate, thin-walled, verruculous hyphae, 4–5 μm thick. Ostiole well developed, 35–45 μm in diam, with short hyaline 0–1-septate periphyses. Ascomatal wall 25–40 μm thick, hyaline to pale yellow, composed 3–5 layers of elongated, thick-walled cells, 9–12 × 2–3 μm, cells wall 1.0–1.5 μm, KOH–. Asci broadly clavate, normally with 1 macrospore, and (2–)4(– 5) microspores, 80–105 × 25–35 μm (n = 10). Macrospores hyaline, broadly ellipsoid, 1-septate, constricted at the septum, with pointed to slightly attenuated ends, perisporium well-developed and forming hair-like surface in mature macrospores, (53.0–)56.4–66.2(–75.8) × (23.0–)25.2–31.6(–35.0) μm (n = 30), 1/b (1.8–)2.0–2.3(–2.5); microspores hyaline, ellipsoid, 1-septate, with rounded ends, not constricted at the septum, verruculose, (8.0–)9.2–10.4(–11.4) × (4.8–)5.3–6.0(–6.6) μm (n = 60), 1/b (1.4–)1.5–1.9(–2.1).

Distribution, habitat and host range: Examined specimens have only been reported from a few localities in the Yungas cloud forest (2200–3000 m a.s.l.) and a single location in Boliviano-Tucumano forests (940 m. a.s.l.). It grows on sterile corticolous lichens and the infection does not cause visible damage to the host.

Specimens examined: Bolivia, La Paz Department, Nor Yungas Province, Chuspipata station, old road Coroico-La Paz , 16º18’18”S, 67º48’55”W, 3009 m a.s.l., disturbed Yungas cloud forest with shrubs and small trees, on sterile crustose lichen, 23 Nov. 2016, A. Flakus 28844 (KRAM L-74674, LPB) GoogleMaps ; Santa Cruz Department, Comarapa Province, Amboró National Park, Remate 17°51’39”S, 64°21’15”W, 2270 m a.s.l., natural Yungas forest with big trees, on sterile crustose lichen, 15 May 2017, A. Flakus 29165 (KRAM L-74675, LPB) GoogleMaps , ibid., 29171 (KRAM L-74676, LPB) GoogleMaps ; Tarija Department, Aniceto Arce Province, close to Coyambuyo, between Padcaya and Bermejo, 22º17’23”S, 64º28’50”W, 942 m a.s.l., Sub-Andean Tucumano-Boliviano forest with bryophytes, Lauraceae and Meristomataceae , on sterile crustose lichen, 26 Jul. 2015, M. Kukwa 16732 ( LPB) GoogleMaps .

Notes: This lichenicolous fungus is morphologically similar to Ovicuculispora macrospora described from saxicolous sterile lichens from Peru ( Etayo 2010). However, examined material differences from the protologue by somewhat smaller macrospores [56.4–66.2(–75.8) × (23.0–)25.2–31.6(–35.0) µm in Ovicuculispora cf. macrospora vs 67–105 × 32–40 µm in Ovicuculispora macrospora ], broader microspores [(4.8–)5.3–6.0(–6.6) μm in Ovicuculispora cf. macrospora vs 4.5–5 µm in Ovicuculispora macrospora ] and hair-like surface of macrospores ( Etayo 2010). We were not able to include Ovicuculispora macrospora into our phylogenetic analyses as this species is known so far only from the type locality in Peru. However, O. macrospora can also show the variability of ascospores size and shape as it was reported to O. parmeliae (see notes below). Therefore, based on morphological differences between our specimens and type description, we tentatively referred our materials to O. cf. macrospora before more samples will be collected.