In order to obtain a complete picture of the factors determining spatial pattern in a saxicolous lichen community (or any other plant community) it is important to use a range of analytical techniques at a variety of scales. The Jonas Rockslide study is an example of this, and three analyses from this study are discussed here. Each scale gives a different perspective on the processes acting in the community. The largest scale shows that lichen distributions are correlated with attributes of whole rockfaces such as slope and aspect. The second analysis examines pattern at the scale of 10 cm to 20 cm grid points and shows that within a rockface are many micro-habitats, reflected in the pattern of occurrence of different lichen species at this scale. The smallest scale of analysis is a ‘nearest-neighbour’ analysis, which indicates that lichens sample their environment differently and have different ecological strategies. These processes ultimately act together to give the observed pattern in the community.

The species of Arthonia s. lat. (Arthoniales, Ascomycotina) lichenicolous on species of Pseudocyphellaria and other Lobariaceae are revised. Thirteen species are accepted, and eight species are described as new (all from the Southern Hemisphere): Arthonia badia Wedin & Hafeliner, A. coriifoliae Wedin & Hafeilner, A. fiavicantis Wedin & Hafellner, A. maculiformis Wedin & Hafeliner, A. minuta Wedin & Hateliner, A. santessoniana Wedin & Hafellner, ‘A.’ semi-immersa Wedin & Hafeilner, and A. subaggregata Wedin & Hafellner. Comparative notes on additional accepted species previously described from Pseudocyphellaria or other Lobariaceae (A. pelvetii, A. plectocarpozdes, A. pseudocyphellariae, A. stzctaria, and A. subconveniens) are included, and a key to the Arthonia (and similar) species growing on Lobariaceae is presented. The coelomycete genus Subhysteropycnis Wedin & Hafellner is described for the species S. maculiformans Wedin & Hafellner, the macroconidal anamorph of Arthonia badia. The lecanoralean genus Corticiruptor Wedin & Hafeliner is described as new to accommodate the single lichenicolous species C. abeloneae (P. M. Jørg.) Wedin & Hafellner comb. nov., and the additional new combination Plectocarpon linitae (R. Sant.) Wedin & Hafellner is proposed. The names Celidium pelvetii Hepp, Sticta aurata b abortiva Schaer. and Arthonia stictarza Nyl. are lectotypified, and the typifications are discussed.

Omphalodiella patagonica Henssen gen. et sp. nov. is described from two Patagonian localities in Argentina. In habit the new lichen resembles some species of Acarospora in having brown, peltate thalli less than 3 mm wide with immersed apothecia. The ontogeny and structure of the apothecia and pycnidia correspond, however, to genera of the Parmeliaceae. The apothecia are provided with a meristematic, cupular exciple, and the amyloid asci contain 8 or less, ± globose spores. The short-celled conidiophores produce rod-shaped conidia of bayonet type. The thallus is provided with a narrow paraplectenchymatic upper and a broad prosoplectenchymatic, strongly gelatinized lower cortex. The thallus contains gyrophoric acid; the cortex contains ‘glomellifera brown ’.

The genus Arthopyrenia is redefined to include only corticolous lichenized or non-lichenized fungi. A key and notes are provided for the 14 species accepted for the British Isles, including three new species, A. carneobrunneola, A. ranunculospora and A. viridescens. Arthopyrenia nilescens is resurrected from synonymy, A. cinereopruinosa is confirmed as occurring in the British Isles, and A. fraxini, A. salicis and A. subcerasi are added to the British list. The following names are lectotypined: Arthopyrenia fraxini Massal. (including f. orbicularis Massal. and f. rufidula Massal.), A. salicis Massal., Verrucaria nitescens Salwey and V. subcerasi Vainio.

The lichenicolous hyphomycete Taeniolella diederichiana Etayo & Calatayud, is described from the Andes (Colombia and Peru) and the Canary Islands. It grows on the thallus and apothecial margin of Placopsis. It is characterized by forming minute sporodochia over a basal group of polyhedral cells, and by its conidia with a verruculose to verrucose-striate wall.

This paper aims to provide a biogeographical analysis of the epiphytic lichen flora of S Calabria by means of chorograms (i.e. distributional maps showing the joint distribution of multiple taxa). Two datasets on both local and Italian distribution were used. Local distribution is described by records of 135 epiphytic species in 14 sampling sites (5 trees per site, boles sampled from the ground to 2 m) representing the main vegetation belts of the survey area. A cluster analysis of the species, based on their commonness-rarity in the 9 main bioclimatic areas and in the 20 administrative regions of Italy, was applied. For each of the 7 clusters of species (chorotypes), a chorogram was produced. The matrix of species and sites was also submitted to numerical classification, and 5 clusters of sites were obtained, corresponding to the main altitudinal belts and tree species. For each group of sites, the frequencies of chorotypes were calculated. The results show a clear relationship between local distribution, mainly related to ecological conditions, and the Italian one. The truly Mediterranean forests of the survey area have the highest incidence of the Tyrrhenian element. Beech forests of the montane belt, dominated by broad-ranging lichens, are the most diverse biogeographically. The pine forests lying above the temperate belt do not host a peculiar lichen flora, being dominated by broad-ranging circumboreal species.

The lichen genus Ochrolechia found in China is revised. Twenty taxa are accepted in the genus, including four described as new to science: Ochrolechia alticola, differing from O. mexicana by the larger ascospores and the absence of lichexanthone, and from O. africana by the C+ red reaction of the apothecial margin cortex, the absence of 5-O-methylhiascic acid, and its alpine habitat; O. lijiangensis, differing from O. longispora by the larger apothecia and smaller ascospores, and by the presence of an additional undetermined fatty acid; O. longispora, differing from O. trochophora by the larger ascospores and the presence of two fatty acids; and O. rugomarginata, differing from O. pallescens in the minutely verruculose margins of the mature apothecia, the absence of variolaric acid and the C+ red thallus cortex, and from O. trochophora var. trochophora by the presence of alectoronic acid in the apothecial medulla, the coarsely pruinose disc and a preference for the bark of coniferous trees. Four new taxa are reported for China: Ochrolechia arborea, O. mahluensis, O. szatalaënsis and O. trochophora var. pruinirosella. An identification key to all taxa in the genus known from China is provided.

Opegrapha invadens Etayo on Pannaria farinosa and Plectocarpon usneaustralis Etayo on corticolous Usnea sp. are described as new from southern Chile.

Molecular inferences of three loci within a phylogenetic framework of a subset of the Pannariaceae confirm that the genus Kroswia is nested within the genus Fuscopannaria. The formal combination of the type species of Kroswia into Fuscopannaria is therefore made here, and Kroswia is reduced into synonymy with the latter genus.

An unusual dark blue-green lichen, Lecanora sierrae, was discovered over 30 years ago by Czehura near copper mines in the Lights Creek District, Plumas County, Northern California. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, Czehura found that dark green lichen samples from Warren Canyon contained 4% Cu in ash and suggested that its colour was due to copper accumulation in the cortex. The present study addressed the hypothesis that the green colour in similar material we sampled from Warren Canyon in 2008, is caused by copper localization in the thallus. Optical microscopy and electron microprobe analysis of specimens of L. sierrae confirmed that copper localization took place in the cortex. Elemental analyses of L. sierrae and three other species from the same localities showed high enrichments of copper and selenium, suggesting that copper selenates or selenites might occur in these lichens and be responsible for the unusual colour.

The new species Ramboldia blastidiata Kantvilas & Elix, from Tasmania and mainland Australia is described, and the new combination, R. elabens (Fr.) Kantvilas & Elix is proposed. The South American R. petraeoides var. concava (Müll. Arg.) Fryday is considered a synonym of R. petraeoides (Nyl. ex C. Bab. & Mitt.) Kantvilas & Elix s. str., and R. crassithallina Kalb and R. sorediata Kalb, both previously considered endemic to Western Australia, are recorded from Tasmania for the first time. A key to the 11 species of Ramboldia is presented.

Sticta wiegelii (Ach.) Vain., a cyanobacterial lichen characterized by mainly marginal isidia, occurs in montane rainforest in both tropical and cool-temperate forest biomes, being known from East Africa (Stizenberger 1895; Swinscow & Krog 1988; Krog 2000), Réunion and Madagascar (Nylander 1868; Hue 1890, 1901a), India (Joshi & Awasthi 1982); Japan (Yoshimura 1974; Kurokawa 2003; Takahashi et al. 2004), Central America and the West Indies (Nylander 1865; Hue 1890, 1901a; Imshaug 1956, 1957; Harris 1984; McDonald et al. 2003), Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil (Martius 1833; Vainio 1890; Hue 1901a; Malme 1934; McDonald et al. 2003), Argentina, Chile (Galloway 1994a), Java (Nylander 1868; Stizenberger 1895; Hue 1901b; Zahlbruckner & Mattick 1956); New Guinea (Szatala 1956; Streimann 1986), north-eastern Australia (Galloway 1998, 2001; McDonald et al. 2003), and several Pacific island groups including Hawaii, Fiji, the Galapagos, Tahiti, New Caledonia and the Kermadecs (for references see Elix & McCarthy 1998: 269; McDonald et al. 2003).

The new species Leptogium sphaerosporum from Langtang in Nepal is described. It is closely related to L. pedicellatum, but differs in being more delicate with phyllidia and having spheroid spores. It is most probably a local species of the lower montane forests. An emendation to the world key of hairy Leptogium species is presented.

Nineteen lichens new to sub-Antarctic Heard Island are recorded. Three species are described as new: Gyalideopsis heardense Øvstedal, Mycobilimbia subbyssoidea Øvstedal and Psoroma absconditum Øvstedal. Altogether the total number of lichen species recorded on the island is now 90.

The composition and richness of the microfauna on lime trees was surveyed in relation to the distribution and cover of lichens in Belfast. Parameters used to help interpret the results included distance from the city centre and available data on air quality. The percentage epiphyte cover on the trunks of lime trees was significantly correlated with distance from the city centre whereas that on tree bases as not. In contrast, the number of microfaunal species revealed strong positive correlations with distance for both the bases and the trunks of trees. Most of this increase in microfaunal species richness towards rural areas was due to protistans which are thus proposed as useful bioindicators of air pollution. The total species richness of fauna showed slight negative correlation with smoke but not SO2 levels.

Protoparmelia hypotremella van Herk, Spier & Wirth, a sterile corticolous lichen, is described as a species new to science, so far known from Austria, SW Germany and the Netherlands. It is rapidly spreading in Germany and the Netherlands. It is apparently close to P. oleagina, and is often found growing together with that species on oak trees along roads in the Netherlands. Both species are host to the lichenicolous fungi Sphinctrina anglica and Tremella wirthii.

Lecanora pseudogangaleoides spec. nov. is a saxicolous lichen in southeastern Australia. It fits anatomically into the L. subfusca group (=Lecanora s.str.), but differs from most previous concepts of that group in containing usnic acid in addition to atranorin. The presence of usnic acid is now considered to be of less importance in that group, and species containing usnic acid may well belong to Lecanora s.str. Within L. pseudogangaleoides chemical variation with respect to the presence of xanthones was observed and two subspecies are distinguished. Lecanora pseudogangaleoides s.str. lacks xanthones, whereas L. pseudogangaleoides subsp. verdonii subsp. nov. contains the arthothelin chemosyndrome in addition to the normal occurrence of the psoromic acid chemosyndrome. A key orthe distinction of L. pseudogangaleoides and similar species is included.