Opegrapha multipuncta and Schismatomma quercicola are two sterile European lichens reproducing only vegetatively by means of soredia. RAxML and Bayesian analyses of newly generated sequence data from the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA small subunit provide clear evidence that these two species do not belong to the Arthoniomycetes, but to the Lecanoromycetes. In our phylogenetic analyses, O. multipuncta is nested in the genus Porina (Porinaceae) as sister to P. austroatlantica, while S. quercicola is nested in the genus Schizotrema (Graphidaceae) as sister to S. zebrinum. The following new combinations are introduced: Porina multipuncta (Coppins & P. James) Ertz, Coppins & Frisch and Schizotrema quercicola (Coppins & P. James) Ertz, Frisch & Sanderson. Schizotrema quercicola represents the first record of the genus Schizotrema for Europe and the first sorediate member in this genus. The species is newly recorded from Norway. The lichenicolous habit of Arthonia invadens is confirmed.

Arctoparmelia collatolica is described as a species new to science based on morphological, chemical and molecular data. The species is similar to the usnic acid-deficient chemotype of A. centrifuga but differs in the grey-brown to brown upper surface in the central part of the thallus and ivory white to pale brown rhizines. The species contains collatolic acid and its derivatives. Seven secondary lichen substances are reported as new for the genus Arctoparmelia. A key to Arctoparmelia taxa is provided.

The new species Psoroma nivale is described from an area of late snow-lie in the Keglo Bay area on the eastern side of Ungava Bay, northern Québec, Canada. It is superficially similar to P. hypnorum but has a dark, brownish black thallus colour without reddish hues, much-branched, proliferating squamules, thick paraphyses, distinct but inconspicuous IKI+ ascus tube structures, and characteristic elongate, bacilliform, often asymmetrical ascospores. The new species is compared with possible related taxa and its systematic position discussed. A key to the species of pannarioid lichens reported from arctic areas of North America is also provided.

Thirty-five species of Micarea are recorded for Tasmania. Ten are described as new to science: M. ceracea Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from Victoria and New South Wales), characterized by a thallus containing perlatolic and didymic acids, pallid apothecia and 3(–4)-septate ascospores, 10–21 × 3·5–6 µm; M. cinereopallida Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from Chile), with a granular to coralloid, goniocyst-like thallus containing superlatolic acid, pallid to piebald apothecia and (0–)1-septate ascospores, 8–15 × 2·5–5 µm; M. micromelaena Kantvilas & Coppins, similar to the widespread M. melaena but with markedly smaller, 0–1-septate ascospores, 8–12·5 × 2·5–4 µm; M. oreina Kantvilas & Coppins, characterized by a thallus of globose areoles containing gyrophoric acid, black, subglobose apothecia, and 1-septate ascospores, 11–16·5 × 4·5–6·5 µm; M. pallida Coppins & Kantvilas, similar to M. ceracea but distinguished by the presence of porphyrilic acid and relatively small, 3-septate ascospores, 9·5–15 × 2·5–4 µm; M. prasinastra Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from New Zealand), a member of the M. prasina group with a finely granular-sorediose thallus containing gyrophoric acid, unpigmented apothecia and (0–)1-septate ascospores, 7–11·5 × 1·8–3·5 µm; M. rubiginosa Coppins & Kantvilas (also known from Chile), likewise allied to M. prasina but with apothecia containing Rubella-orange pigment and ascospores 0–1-septate, 9·5–17 × 3·5–5·5 µm; M. sandyana Kantvilas, related to M. ternaria (Nyl.) Vĕzda but differing by smaller ascospores, 7–13·5 × 3·5–6 µm; M. saxicola Coppins & Kantvilas, characterized by a relatively thick, grey-brown, areolate thallus, convex, black apothecia and 0(–1)-septate ascospores, 7–18 × 4·5–7 µm; and M. tubaeformis Coppins & Kantvilas, related to M. flagellispora and with filiform ascospores, 45–100 × 1–2 µm, but differing by containing 2′-O-methylperlatolic acid and having funnel-shaped pycnidia. Ten species of Micarea are reported for Tasmania for the first time: M. almbornii Coppins, M. argopsinosa P. M. McCarthy & Elix, M. byssacea (Th. Fr.) Czarnota et al., M. contexta Hedl., M. farinosa Coppins & Aptroot, M. humilis P. M. McCarthy & Elix, M. incrassata Hedl., M. myriocarpa V. Wirth & Vězda ex Coppins, M. nowakii Czarnota & Coppins and M. pseudocoppinsii Brand et al. Also recorded for the first time for Victoria are M. alabastrites (Nyl.) Coppins and M. cinerea (Schaer.) Hedl. A key to Micarea-like lichens in Tasmania, which includes Micarea itself as well as Brianaria, Psilolechia and Leimonis, is presented. Leimonis erratica (Körb.) R. C. Harris & Lendemer and Brianaria tuberculata (Sommerf.) S. Ekman & M. Svensson are recorded for Tasmania for the first time.

Some lichenized ascomycetes synthesize melanic pigments in their upper cortices when exposed to ultraviolet light and high solar radiation. Our previous work showed that melanized chloro- and cyanolichens from both high light and more shaded habitats were less photoinhibited than pale ones during controlled exposure to high light. However, protection from high light might not necessarily be the consequence of just sun-screening by melanins in upper cortices. An inherent problem with earlier experiments was that the photobionts of melanized thalli might have received more light than those beneath pale cortices. The photobionts may therefore have possessed other light-induced tolerance mechanisms that gave protection from photoinhibition. Here, we aimed to test directly the inherent tolerance of lichen photobionts to photoinhibition. The method involved removing the lower cortices and medullas of three lichen species, Cetraria islandica, Crocodia aurata and Lobaria pulmonaria, and exposing the photobionts to light from below. Results confirmed that most of the improvement in tolerance to photoinhibition in melanized lichens derives from fungal melanization in the upper cortex. However, in C. islandica, the most heavily melanized species, algae from melanized thalli possessed a significantly higher tolerance to photoinhibition than those from pale thalli, suggesting that photobionts can also adapt themselves to high light.