This issue of Mycological Research News features altruism within Dictyostelium colonies, and questions whether lichens protect or damage stonework.

This month's Mycological Research includes 16 papers. The first is a major contribution to knowledge of the diversity and ecology of coprophilous fungi, the most detailed to have appeared since 1972. Molecular studies focus on the Auriculariales and related orders, family and generic concepts in the Georgefischeriales, the Galerina marginata complex, Serpula lacrymans and S. himantioides, and lichenicolous fungi referred to Hobsonia and Marchandiomyces. A hydroxynaphthalene reductase gene from Ophiostoma floccosum has been cloned which complements a phenotype of Magnaporthe grisea, and chitin synthase sequences are reported in different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Fungi able to grow on toluene have been investigated, the potential of Rhynchosporium alismatis chlamydospores in weed biocontrol explored, and the behaviour of the conidia of the entomopathogen Erynia neoaphidis in air studied.

Systematic papers concern Leptographium species on pines, novel fungi on Juncus roemerianus, a new homothallic Mortierella, and Sphaerella species described from filmy ferns.

The following new scientific names are introduced: Eballistraceae fam. nov.; Eballistra, Hobsoniopsis, Illosporiopsis, Phragmotaenium, and Pycnodallia gens. nov.; Hymenopsis chlorothrix, Leptographium alethinum, L. euphyes, L. pityophilum, Mortierella tsukubaensis, and Pycnodallia dupla spp. nov.; Eballistra brachiariae (syn. Entyloma brachyariae), E. lineata (syn. Melanotaenium lineata), E. oryzae (syn. Entyloma oryzae), Hobsoniopsis santessonii (syn. Hobsonia santessonii), Illosporiopsis christiansenii (syn. Hobsonia christiansenii), Jamesdicksonia dactylis (syn. Thecaphora dactylidis), J. eleochartis (syn. Ustilago eleochartis), J. irregularis (syn. Entyloma irregulare), J. ischaemianum (syn. Melanotaenium ischaemianum), J. scirpicola (syn. E. scirpicola), Phragmotaenium indicum (syn. Melanotaenium indicum), and Trichothelium assurgens (syn. Sphaerella assurgens) combs. nov.