Fungalpedia – Note 2722, Pygmaeosphaera
Pygmaeosphaera Etayo & Diederich.
Citation when using this data: Meng QF et al. – Fungalpedia.
Index Fungorum, Faceoffungi, MycoBank, GenBank, Fig 1.
Classification: Pezizomycotina genera incertae sedis, Ascomycota, Fungi.
Pygmaeosphaera was introduced by Etayo (2017) to encompass three lichenicolous species. The type species, Pygmaeosphaera coccocarpiae, was transferred from Nectriopsis coccocarpiae Diederich and is associated with Coccocarpia pellita. The genus is distinguished by its very small, perithecioid ascomata, measuring less than 60 μm in diam., with a thin ascomatal wall lacking a distinct cellular structure. Additional diagnostic features include hamathecial hyphae originating from the ascomatal wall, bitunicate, claviform asci that are both I- and KI-negative, and 1-septate, hyaline, smooth-walled ascospores (Etayo 2017). Its phylogenetic placement remains uncertain due to the absence of molecular data, necessitating further study.
Type species: Pygmaeosphaera coccocarpiae (Diederich) Etayo & Diederich.
= Nectriopsis coccocarpiae Diederich (Aptroot et al. 1997).
Other accepted species: Species Fungorum – search Pygmaeosphaera.
Figure 1 – Pygmaeosphaera coccocarpiae redrawn from Etayo (2017). a Tiny ascomata on coccocarpia domingensis. b Asci. c Ascospores. Scale bars: a = 100 μm, b = 10 μm, c = 5 μm.
References
Etayo J 2017 – Hongos liquenícolas de Ecuador. Opera Lilloana, 50, 1–535.
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 22 July 2026