A brief discussion of the Encyclopedia of Life and the LifeDesks websites as a means to assemble and publish species pages and taxonomic information on the internet, for both the scientific community and the public, is provided. The lichen family Parmeliaceae is the first large group of lichenized fungi for which a concerted effort is currently being undertaken to produce substantial content for the EOL.

Since the advent of molecular taxonomy, numerous lichen-forming fungi with homoiomerous thalli initially classified in the family Collemataceae Zenker have been transferred to other families, highlighting the extent of morphological convergence within Lecanoromycetes O. E. Erikss. & Winka. While the higher level classification of these fungi might be clarified by such transfers, numerous specific and generic classifications remain to be addressed. We examined the relationships within the broadly circumscribed genus Arctomia Th. Fr., which has been the recipient of several transfers from Collemataceae. We demonstrated that Arctomia insignis (P. M. Jørg. & Tønsberg) Ertz does not belong to Arctomia s. str. but forms a strong monophyletic group with Gabura fascicularis (L.) P. M. Jørg. We also confirmed that Arctomia borbonica Magain & Sérus. and the closely related Arctomia insignis represent two species. We formally transferred A. insignis and A. borbonica to the genus Gabura Adans. and introduced two new combinations: Gabura insignis and Gabura borbonica. We reported Gabura insignis from Europe (Scotland and Ireland) for the first time. While material from Europe and North America is genetically almost identical, specimens from Madagascar, South Africa and Reunion Island belong to three distinct phylogenetic lineages, all of which are present in the latter area and may represent distinct species. In its current circumscription, the genus Gabura may contain up to six species, whereas Arctomia s. str. includes only two species (A. delicatula Th. Fr. and A. teretiuscula P. M. Jørg.). The Gabura insignis group is shown to have an unexpectedly large, subcosmopolitan distribution. With the extended sampling from Arctomiaceae Th. Fr., the placement of Steinera sorediata P. James & Henssen in the genus Steinera Zahlbr. is confirmed and the presence of a new Steinera species from Chile is highlighted.

Microsatellite markers can provide valuable information about gene flow and population history. We developed and tested new microsatellites for the nitrophilic lichenized fungus Xanthoria parietina and studied its genetic diversity and structure within the urban area of Munich, Bavaria. We compared its local genetic pattern with that of its photobiont partner Trebouxia decolorans, for which existing microsatellites were applied. For comparison, a reference site with clean air was included in the sampling. We found support for three genetic clusters in the fungus X. parietina, which occurred intermingled in collecting sites. There was a high degree of admixture within fungal populations and individuals, and analysis of molecular variance revealed a lack of population structure in the mycobiont. The Trebouxia photobiont, in contrast, exhibited structured populations which grouped into two to five genetic clusters, and individuals showed less admixture than in the mycobiont. This indicates that the two lichen partners differ in their ability to move around in the landscape. The microsatellite markers we report are polymorphic and are suitable for population genetic studies.

Tremella caloplacae (Zahlbr.) Diederich is a species complex including at least nine different species. Here, we formally describe the new species Tremella elegantis, T. nimisiana, T. parietinae, T. pusillae and T. sorediatae. Tremella elegantis induces galls in the hymenium of Rusavskia elegans and forms 2-celled basidia, where cells rarely elongate and sometimes give the appearance of two immature, independent basidia. Tremella nimisiana has small basidiomata (less than 1 mm diam.), narrowly ellipsoid to pyriform 2-celled, occasionally clavate to subcylindrical 3-celled basidia, and grows in the hymenium of Xanthocarpia species. Tremella parietinae is characterized by the exclusive growth in the hymenium of Xanthoria parietina, the broadly fusiform to ellipsoid probasidia, and the subspherical, pyriform or ellipsoid 2(–3)-celled basidia. Tremella pusillae has ellipsoidal probasidia, 2(–3)-celled pyriform or ellipsoidal basidia that sometimes are constricted at the septum, and grows only on Calogaya pusilla. Tremella sorediatae is characterized by inducing galls on the thallus of Rusavskia sorediata and by pyriform to ellipsoid basidia that sometimes are constricted at the septum. Three species are not formally described and are left unnamed as Tremella sp. 13 on Calogaya biatorina, Tremella sp. 14 on Calogaya decipiens and Tremella sp. 15 on Polycauliona sp. Tremella caloplacae in the strict sense is re-circumscribed as a species confined to Variospora species.

A collection of lichens made in 1998 (by WQ) from the bark of Austrocedrus chilensis at a locality in southern Chile, disclosed two species of Pannaria not hitherto recorded from the Chilean lichen mycobiota (Galloway & Quilhot 1999): (1) the pantemperate taxon Pannaria conoplea (Ach.) Bory, which is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere as well as having rare outliers in East Africa, Venezuela, Ecuador and Australia (see Jørgensen 1978; Swinscow & Krog 1988; Jørgensen & Galloway 1992; Jørgensen & Arvidsson 2004), and (2) Pannaria tavaresii P. M. Jørg., known earlier from North America (including Mexico and Jamaica), Portugal, Macaronesia (Jørgensen 1978), Australia (Jørgensen & Galloway 1992), Sardinia and Italy (Nimis 1993) and previously collected in 1986 from near Valdivia in Chile. The discovery of Pannaria conoplea and P. tavaresii in Chile adds to the known Pannaria mycobiota of Chile (Galloway & Quilhot 1999), bringing the total number of species of this genus in Chile to 23. Eleven taxa formerly placed in Psoroma, are now correctly accommodated in Pannaria (see Jørgensen 2001b; Elvebakk & Galloway 2003; Jørgensen & Sipman 2004; Passo et al. 2004). Both Pannaria conoplea and P. tavaresii are within the currently accepted circumscription of Pannaria (Jørgensen 1994, 2004a, 2004b). Descriptions of the Chilean material are given below.

Lecania fructigena has been found in western Europe. This species, previously known only from western North America and north-western Mexico, is described and compared with related species. It is easily overlooked for L. aipospila. Lecania sampaiana is a synonym of L. aipospila.

Two species of Catinaria with an unusual hepaticolous (i.e. growing on liverworts) lifestyle are described as new to science. Catinaria brodoana is described from species of Cheilolejeunea sect. Leucolejeunea (Lejeuneaceae) growing in south-eastern North America. Catinaria radulae is described from Radula flavifolia (Radulaceae) growing in the Cape Horn Archipelago of southernmost Chile, South America. The species are compared with the type of Catinaria (C. atropurpurea). In addition to occurring on hepatics, C. brodoana is characterized by its cellular exciple, warted ascospores and thallus composed of goniocysts, while C. radulae is characterized by its exciple of radiating hyphae, warted ascospores and absence of a lichenized thallus.

The manna lichens, a group of vagrant species with subfruticose and subfoliose thalli in the genus Circinaria Link, have received attention for millennia. Here, a new manna lichen species, Circinaria nimisii sp. nov. (Megasporaceae), is described and illustrated. This vagrant lichen is found on Mount Olympus in Greece and is the fourth known manna lichen in Europe. The new taxon is characterized by its subfruticose, densely-branched thallus with a muddy, earthy colour, whitish pseudocyphellae on tips of branches, mature apothecia distinctly adnate to stipitate, and paraplectenchymatous cortex tissue. Molecular sequence data from the standard barcoding marker (nrITS) also corroborate the distinction of this species from closely related congeners. Finally, Agrestia zerovii, previously known only from its type locality in Ukraine, is proposed as a new synonym of Circinaria hispida.

Descriptions, illustrations, discussion and an identification key are presented for six saxicolous and terricolous species of the lichen genus Bacidia De Not. occurring in temperate Australia and Tasmania. Three species are described as new to science: B. lithophila Kantvilas from northern Tasmania, characterized by having only brown apothecial pigments and 3–5-septate, acicular ascospores, 23–35×1·5–2·0 µm; B. littoralis Kantvilas from Tasmania, South Australia (Kangaroo Island) and New South Wales, characterized by green and brown apothecial pigments and acicular, 3–7-septate ascospores, 24–48×2·0–3·5 µm; and B. maccarthyi Kantvilas from New South Wales, with pruinose apothecia and long, filiform, 17–25-septate ascospores, 65–115×2·5–4·0 µm. Three further species are reported for the region for the first time: B. bagliettoana (A. Massal. & de Not.) Jatta (Tasmania), B. curvispora Coppins & Fryday (Tasmania) and B. scopulicola (Nyl.) A. L. Sm. (Tasmania, Victoria).

Belonia mediterranea Nav.-Ros. & Llimona sp. nov. is described and compared with other, mainly saxicolous, species of the genus. It is known only from the type locality, Medes Islands (Catalonia, NE Spain), where it occurs on shaded limestone cliffs, near the Mediterranean seashore. It differs from related saxicolous species of Belonia mainly in the appearance of the thallus, ascospore septation and ecology. A key to the European species of Belonia is provided.

The first sorediate species in the genus Llimonaea, L. sorediata is described from coastal areas of western Europe. This new species is easily mistaken for Dirina massiliensis f. sorediata with which it often co-occurs. It grows on vertical or overhanging acidic cliffs. Fertile specimens were recently collected in Portugal. A description of the species together with notes on distribution, ecology and chemistry are provided and a key to the species of Llimonaea is also provided.