Pachypeltis phoenicopta (Poelt & Hinteregger) Vondrák

Vondrák, Jan, Frolov, Ivan, Davydov, Evgeny A., Yakovchenko, Lidia, Malíček, Jiří, Svoboda, Stanislav & Kubásek, Jiří, 2019, The lichen family Teloschistaceae in the Altai-Sayan region (Central Asia), Phytotaxa 396 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

Pachypeltis phoenicopta (Poelt & Hinteregger) Vondrák , combinatio nova

MycoBank: MB826778

Figs: 7E–F, 8.

Basionym: Caloplaca phoenicopta Poelt & Hinteregger in Bibliotheca lichenologica 50: 175–176 (1993). Type:— NEPAL. Langtang area, S-exposed slopes N above Thangsep (Thogsep), ± 3200 m, rocks in pastures and scrubs with Caragana sukinensis , on quartzite, associated with Lecanora [= Caloplaca ] demissa and Caloplaca saxicola var. chameleon [= Calogaya sp. ], collected by Josef Poelt, 2 September 1986 (holotype GZU!).

Taxonomy: Originally described as a lichenicolous lichen confined to Caloplaca demissa with a diagnostic contrast between pale ochraceous thallus and brown red apothecia ( Poelt & Hinteregger 1993). Morphology and ecology of our specimens from Altai-Sayan region match the type specimen, but the pool of hosts differs and includes numerous lichen genera (see below). Lecidella sp. and Rinodina sp. , belonging to the pool of hosts, would suggest identification of our specimens as Caloplaca lecidellae or C. rinodinae which were also described by Poelt & Hinteregger (1993) as host specific lichenicolous lichens from Himalaya. Based on our appraisals, both latter species do not have a specific “ Pachypeltis appearence”, but the type of C. lecidellae probably belongs to Xanthocarpia and the type of C. rinodinae resembles C. sororicida .

Geographic note: Also occurring in Sierra Nevada, Spain (specimen Vondrák 18191), see Table 1 for details.

3 localities at altitudes 1400–2500 m, in arid alpine habitats. Substrate: sun-lit siliceous rocks usually below overhangs, lichenicolous on Aspicilia sp. , Calogaya biatorina , Lecidella sp. , Lobothallia sp. , Rhizocarpon cf. disporum and Rinodina sp.