Fungalpedia – Note 2672, Paralethariicola
Paralethariicola Calat., Etayo & Diederich.
Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Odontotremataceae, Odontotrematales, Ostropomycetidae, Lecanoromycetes, Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Paralethariicola was introduced by Calatayud et al. (2001b) to describe the single lichenicolous fungus P. aspiciliae, which grows on Aspicilia and has been recorded in Spain and Sardinia. This genus resembles Lethariicola and is characterized by excipular hairs, asci with a hemiamyloid apical ring and a more flattened apex, curved or slightly helicoid ascospores with ± pointed ends, and thicker paraphyses. Paralethariicola was originally classified in Odontotremataceae (Ostropales). Later, Lücking (2019) established the new order Odontotrematales to encompass Odontotremataceae. Due to the unavailability of sequence data, this genus has consistently been retained within Odontotremataceae (Odontotrematales).
Type species: Paralethariicola aspiciliae Calat., Etayo & Diederich, on Aspicilia (Calatayud et al. 2001b)
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Paralethariicola.
Figure 1 – Paralethariicola aspiciliae redrawn from Calatayud et al. (2001b). a Ascomata. b Section of ascomata. c Part of the exciple. d Asci and paraphyses. e Ascospores. Scale bars: a = 250 μm, b = 50 μm, c = 20 μm, d, e = 10 μm.
References
Entry by
Meng QF, Center of Excellence in Fungal Research, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, 57100, Thailand and School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou 563000, China.
Published online 8 July 2026