The first sorediate species in the genus Llimonaea, L. sorediata is described from coastal areas of western Europe. This new species is easily mistaken for Dirina massiliensis f. sorediata with which it often co-occurs. It grows on vertical or overhanging acidic cliffs. Fertile specimens were recently collected in Portugal. A description of the species together with notes on distribution, ecology and chemistry are provided and a key to the species of Llimonaea is also provided.

Enterographa brezhonega, a fourth lichenicolous species in the genus is described. The species has been collected in an ancient woodland in western France growing on Porina rosei and probably other crustose lichens with a Trentepohlia photobiont. It shows affinities with the similar Enterographa epiphylla, but has an even number of septa and short-lirelliform ascomata.

Lepraria granulata Slavíková, a new species from Eastern and Central Europe, is described. According to its morphology, ITS sequence and ecology, it belongs to the L. neglecta core group. Lepraria granulata is characterized by producing atranorin and two, so far unidentified, fatty acids (‘granulata unknown 1 & 2’) and phylogenetic analyses show that it is clearly distinguished from previously known species. Two additional taxa, provisionally named Lepraria sp. G and Lepraria sp. BG, are also discussed. According to their morphology and ITS sequences, they also belong to the L. neglecta group. Lepraria sp. G is sister to L. granulata whereas Lepraria sp. BG is basal and well separated from all taxa so far known in the group. Their taxonomic status is not yet entirely clear.

The taxonomic and nomenclatural status of the common Scutula (Ramalinaceae, Lecanorales, Ascomycota) parasitizing species of Solorina (Peltigeraceae, Lecanorales) is clarified. The type of Biatorina tuberculosa Th. Fr., which, according to the protologue, was described from a Peltigera, is actually growing on Solorina saccata, and the correct name for this species is here shown to be Scutula tuberculosa (Th. Fr.) Rehm. Lectotypes are designated for Lecidea solorinaria Nyl., Scutula krempelhuberi Körb. and Lecidea solorinicola Vain. Notes on the taxonomy and classification of the genus are given, and a key to the species of Scutula s. str. in the Northern Hemisphere is presented. Scutula tuberculosa is reported as new to Asia and North America.

The diminutive species Gyalidea fruticola is described from Central Sweden and northern Italy. It is typically found on decaying bark, on semi-shaded Lonicera spp. in deciduous, mixed deciduous/coniferous or coniferous forests. The species is characterized by its small and pale apothecia, its submuriform ascospores and its habitat preference.

Lecidea rubrocastanea T. Sprib. & Printzen is described as new from conifer bark and wood in montane valleys of inland British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington State. It is characterized by its combination of a crustose olivaceous thallus lacking secondary lichen substances, small, dark burgundy-red or maroon apothecia, dark-capped paraphyses, Lecidella-type ascus, small, thin-walled ascospores, and bacilliform conidia. The generic affinities of the species based on analysis of ITS DNA are unclear, but it has numerous morphological traits in common with Japewia.

Pannaria leproloma is shown to be a New Zealand endemic, and is characterized by coarse isidiomorphs/isidia, a high frequency of apothecia and the presence of two cytotoxic scabrosin esters, previously unknown from Pannariaceae, and present in 40 of the samples studied. It is not a member of the Pannaria sphinctrina group, as previously thought. It has frequently been confused with a related, finely sorediate, very sparingly fertile species, which lacks scabrosin esters in more than 99 of the specimens studied. This latter species is widely distributed both in southern South America (where it is one of the most common corticolous lichens), south-eastern areas of Australia and in New Zealand. It was originally described as Psoroma isidiosum, but had to be renamed when transferred to Pannaria, and is here named Pannaria farinosa.

Chrysothrix occidentalis Elix & Kantvilas, C. palaeophila Kantvilas & Elix and C. tchupalensis Elix & Kantvilas are described as new to science. In addition, the new combination Chrysothrix sulphurella (Räsänen) Kantvilas & Elix is proposed, C. granulosa G. Thor is reported for the first time from Australia (including Tasmania) and New Zealand, and C. xanthina (Vain.) Kalb for the first time from Tasmania, Norfolk Island and New Zealand. A key to the Australian species of Chrysothrix is presented. Chemical data on non-Australasian species of the genus are also provided.

The new species Megalaria allantoidea Fryday is described from the subantarctic Îles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, where it grows over terricolous bryophytes or Azorella selago cushions. It differs from all other described species of Megalaria in having large, sausage-shaped ascospores. The systematics of the genus Megalaria is reviewed, ascus structure of some previously described species revised, and the position of the new species in the genus discussed.

Ecological studies are essential in understanding the response of crustose lichens to habitat dynamics and developing effective conservation strategy. While the combined response of individual crustose species within a community will be tremendously complex, the overall result of individualistic change can be simplified using trait-based analyses. In this paper we examine the response of crustose species with contrasting reproductive traits (predominantly sexual vs asexual reproduction) and which occur within a closely defined habitat (as epiphytes on the lower bole of aspen) to environmental drivers measured at two different scales, i.e. between and within aspen stands. Our results point to the important effect of tree age and subsequent shifts in bark quality (pH) on the composition of the crustose community. However, shifts in community composition putatively controlled by bark quality comprise a change from a community dominated by sexual species to a community with mostly asexual crusts. Our results suggest therefore that variation within this crustose community may be driven by the combined effects of allogenic change (tree age and bark quality) and autogenic processes that are related to a species’ adaptive life-history traits.

The foliicolous species Bacidia colchica Vězda was described from the eastern coast of the Black Sea (Vězda 1979, 1983) and is also known from SW France (Sérusiaux 1989; Sérusiaux et al. 2002) and S Italy (Puntillo 2000; Puntillo et al. 2000). However, its morphological features, such as the structure of the exciple, morphology of the paraphyses and ascus type, do not fit the current concept of Bacidia De Not. (Ekman 1996, 2001) but place this taxon in the Pilocarpaceae. The current circumscription of Pilocarpaceae is still under discussion, as well as the concept of some genera at present included in this family (Sérusiaux 1993; Lücking et al. 1994; Kalb et al. 2000; Lücking et al. 2001a; Sérusiaux et al. 2002; Andersen & Ekman 2005). In particular, the position of B. colchica should be in Fellhanera Vězda (Vězda 1986; Lücking et al. 1994; Sérusiaux 1996; Lücking 1997). Although several recent works have dealt with the European species of the genus Fellhanera (Sérusiaux 1996; Aptroot et al. 1998; Sparrius & Aptroot 2000; Sérusiaux et al. 2001; Sparrius 2002; Spier et al. 2002), none of them included B. colchica, despite some of the papers considering foliicolous taxa.

Argüello et al. (2007) found that Parmelina quercina, as circumscribed by Hale (1976), comprised four phylogenetic species which could also be distinguished by morphological features and also had different distributions: P. carporrhizans (usually rhizinate apothecia, and distinct effigurate maculae; oceanic Europe and Macaronesia), P. coleae (usually rhizinate apothecia, narrow ascospores, and fenestrate maculae; North America), P. elixia (non-rhizinate apothecia, larger ascospores, smaller conidia, and not or faintly maculate; Australia), and P. quercina (apothecia rhizinate or not, and less distinct more rounded maculae; continental Europe).