Neobaryopsis eriodermaticola Darmostuk, Etayo, Kukwa & Flakus, 2025

Darmostuk, Valerii, Etayo, Javier, Rodriguez-Flakus, Pamela, Kukwa, Martin & Flakus, Adam, 2025, Expanding the genus Neobaryopsis (Calcarisporiaceae, Hypocreales): descriptions of two new species and two new combinations based on morphological and molecular data, MycoKeys 124, pp. 291-308 : 291-308

Neobaryopsis eriodermaticola Darmostuk, Etayo, Kukwa & Flakus sp. nov.

Fig. 2

Typus.

Bolivia • Dept. Cochabamba, Prov. Chapare, Parque Nacional Carrasco, Sillar road close to Villa Tunari , 17°06'58"S, 65°41'19"W, 1020 m, Sub-Andean Amazon forest close to plantation, on apothecia of Erioderma sp. , 3 Dec. 2014, M. Kukwa s. n. & A. Flakus ( holotype KRAM L-75209 , isotype LPB)

Etymology.

Named after the host lichen genus, Erioderma .

Description.

Ascomata perithecioid, in small groups, superficial, with loose white arachnoid subiculum, without stromata, pyriform to elongate pyriform, collapsing by lateral pinching when dry, (250 –) 310–370 (– 410) μm high, (160 –) 210–250 (– 300) μm wide (n = 15), smooth, pale orange to orange. Perithecial wall 25–40 µm thick, not changing color in K, composed of two regions: external, pale yellow region with thick-walled, isodiametric cells, 2–4 μm diam., and inner region with hyaline, thin-walled, flattened cells, 5–8 × 2.5–3.5 μm. Periphyses 0–1 septate, c. 7–10 × 1.5–3 µm. Asci cylindrical to narrowly cylindrical, 8 - spored, (120 –) 135–160 (– 185) × (4.0 –) 4.2–4.8 (– 5.3) µm (n = 12), apex thickened with a conspicuous cap c. 3.5–4 µm high. Ascospores thread-like, multiseptate (septa hardly visible on young ascospores), not constricted at the septum, hyaline, with rounded apical parts, smooth-walled, twisted in the ascus, (80 –) 95–110 (– 120) × (1.8 –) 2.0–2.2 (– 2.4) µm (n = 20). Asexual stage hyphomycetous, present near the lower part of perithecia, colonies effuse. Conidiophores short, unbranched, 0–2 - septate, hyaline. Conidiogenous cells terminal, hyaline, thin-walled, smooth, cylindrical to slightly tapering, phialidic, 25–40 × 1.5–2 μm. Conidia ellipsoidal to cylindrical, sometimes slightly constricted in the middle, hyaline, 0 - septate, smooth, slightly truncated, (7.4 –) 8.0–9.4 (– 9.6) × (2.6 –) 2.8–3.8 (– 4.2) µm (n = 25).

Host, distribution, and ecology.

Neobaryopsis eriodermaticola is currently known from a few localities in the montane Yungas cloud forest in Bolivia ( 3200–3500 m) and the Sub-Andean Amazon forest, where it grows on apothecia or rarely on thallus of Erioderma spp.

Notes.

Neobaryopsis eriodermaticola is morphologically similar to N. peltigerae , which grows on Peltigera spp. (see notes below). Neobaryopsis peltigerae differs from the new species in possessing subglobose to slightly clavate terminal cells at the perithecial apex, a feature absent in N. eriodermaticola . Additionally, N. peltigerae has shorter ascospores, 35–75 µm (vs. (80 –) 95–110 (– 120) µm in N. eriodermaticola ), and different lichen hosts ( Candoussau et al. 2007). The anamorphic stage of Neobaryopsis eriodermaticola also has smaller conidia, (7.4 –) 8.0–9.4 (– 9.6) × (2.6 –) 2.8–3.8 (– 4.2) µm, compared to those reported from cultures of N. peltigerae (11–14 × 3–7 µm).

Our phylogenetic results indicate that the new species is sister to Neobaryopsis andensis and N. teloschistis , although this relationship lacks significant statistical support (Fig. 1 ). Neobaryopsis andensis can be distinguished by its larger ascomata, 500–700 µm high (vs. (250 –) 310–370 (– 410) μm high in N. eriodermaticola ), longer asci and ascospores, smaller conidia, 4–7 × 2–2.5 μm (vs (7.4 –) 8.0–9.4 (– 9.6) × (2.6 –) 2.8–3.8 (– 4.2) µm in N. eriodermaticola ), as well as different lichen hosts ( Flakus et al. 2019).

Specimens examined.

Bolivia • Dept. Cochabamba, Prov. Tiraque, Parque Nacional Carrasco, Camino de los Nubes, Antenas Sillar-Villa Tunari old road , 17°12'32"S, 65°41'52"W, 3520 m, upper montane Youngas cloud forest, on thallus and especially apothecia of Erioderma sp. on twigs, 30 Nov. 2014, J. Etayo 33243 (hb. Etayo, LPB) • Dept. La Paz, Prov. Nor Yungas, Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Cotapata of Unduavi by Sillu Tincara pre-Columbian route, transition Páramo Yungeño – Yungas montane cloud forest, 16°17'22"S, 67°53'29"W, 3518 m, on Erioderma leylandii , 25 May 2011, J. Etayo 28016 ( LPB) • ibid., bosque nublado yungas, sendero que parte de la Estación de servicio , 16°17'09"S, 67°51'00"W, 3220–3250 m, on Erioderma leylandii on twigs, 24 May 2011, J. Etayo 27692 (hb. Etayo) .

Figures

Figure 1. Phylogenetic relationships within the family Calcarisporiaceae inferred from a Bayesian Inference analysis (50 % majority-rule consensus tree) of a combined ITS, LSU, tef 1, and rpb 2 data set. Two specimens of Albomorchellophila morchellae were used as the outgroup. The numbers above branches indicate Bayesian posterior probabilities (BPP) > 0.97 and maximum likelihood bootstrap (MLB) support values > 70 % respectively (BPP / MLB). Sequences from type material are indicated by superscript T.

Figure 2. Neobaryopsis eriodermaticola (holotype, except B. and F. from Etayo 33243). A, B. Ascomata and white hyphomycetous colony on the host thallus; C. Squashed ascoma; D. Section of the ascoma; E. Asci; F. Conidia; G. Ascus apex (in LPCB); H. Ascus with ascospores. Scale bars: 250 µm (A, B), 50 µm (C, D), 25 µm (E), 10 µm (F, H), 5 µm (G).