Gibbosporina cyanea is described here as new to science, based on its holotype collected in Sri Lanka in the 1860s. The species is a bipartite cyanolichen in contrast to all other known Gibbosporina species, which are tripartites. The species appears to have evolved through cephalodia emancipation followed by divergence. Phyllidia indicate a cephalodiate evolutionary origin with a continued function similar to vegetative propagules. The species is considered to represent a relatively young speciation within an evolutionary old genus and G. sphaerospora is discussed as a possible candidate for being its closest known relative based on spore morphology. As the species appears to be so different from the remaining Gibbosporina species, it is compared here to representatives of other related palaeotropical cyanogenera, such as Leightoniella, Lepidocollema, Pannaria and Physma. Perispore structure is shown to be a useful character in separating these genera, including distinct clades of the non-monophyletic genera Physma and Lepidocollema. Leightoniella zeylanensis is reported here as new to Japan, and it is concluded that Pannaria lurida needs to be restudied in India and Sri Lanka.

Epiphytes represent keystone resources for many arthropod and vertebrate species, however their ecology remains poorly explored, especially within the palaeotropics. Several recent studies have examined relationships between epiphyte richness and characteristics of local habitats, although these have all focused on neotropical forests. Here, we aim to determine whether predictors of neotropical epiphyte richness are consistent at a palaeotropical site. A total of 44 host trees (dbh range 25–288 cm) were sampled at two study sites on Buton Island, Indonesia. For each tree, epiphyte richness and seven variables relating to characteristics of the host tree and surrounding habitats were recorded: site (a proxy value for disturbance level and water availability), host above-ground biomass (agb), altitude, bark texture, exposure, emergence and crown area. Gaussian GLM analyses indicated that the percentage deviance explained in epiphyte richness per host was greatest for agb (20.9%), crown area (19.6%) and site (15.5%); similar to previous findings from the neotropics. Results therefore suggest that high epiphyte diversity within palaeotropical forests is most likely to be found in large tracts of undisturbed forest, supporting large, broad-crowned trees.

The new corticolous lichen fungus Platythecium seychellense is described from the Seychelles. Morphological characters as well as distribution and resemblance to related species are discussed. The species is characterized by a crustose, grey-green, smooth thallus lacking lichen substances, elongate and slender apothecia having flat, red-brown discs and grey 3-septate ascospores. A world key to all currently known species in the genus is presented.

The genus Donella Pierre ex Baill. is here reinstated and Austrogambeya Aubrév. is, for the first time, placed in synonymy based on the findings of recent combined molecular and morphological studies. Seventeen species are recognised, two of which, Donella ranirisonii L.Gaut. & Mackinder and D. humbertii Capuron ex Mackinder & L.Gaut., from Madagascar, are described here for the first time. The flowers of Donella ambrensis and D. delphinensis are described here for the first time, as are the fruits of D. guereliana. Two keys, to the species of Madagascar and tropical Africa, respectively, are presented. Ten species are endemic to Madagascar, six species are endemic to tropical Africa and one, Donella lanceolata, occurs from Madagascar to the Solomon Islands. For each species, the accepted name with synonymy is given, followed by a morphological description. Geographical range and details of habitat are provided, with taxonomic and/or nomenclatural notes as appropriate. Distribution maps are presented for all species, and preliminary conservation assessments are made. Five species qualify for a category of Threat, and three further species are assessed as Near Threatened. An index to species and a list of exsiccatae are included.

Six new species of foliicolous lichenized fungi are described as new to science from lowland rainforest in the Congo Basin: Bapalmuia serusiauxiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Pilocarpaceae) characterized by (7–)15(–19)-septate ascospores of (40–)50–65(–72)×1·5–2·5 μm, Microtheliopsis ramazaniana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Microtheliopsidaceae) characterized by 1-septate ascospores of 13–16×3–5 μm, Phylloblastiaverheyeniana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Verrucariaceae) characterized by 3-septate ascospores of 13–15(–17)×3·0–4·5 μm, Porina duduana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Porinaceae) characterized by 3-septate ascospores of 11·0–14·5×2·5–3·0 μm, perithecia 130–150(–170) μm diam. and a photobiont with angular-rounded and irregularly arranged cells, Porina gryseelsiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Porinaceae) characterized by orange-brown perithecia and 7–9(–12)-septate ascospores of 29–46×5·0–7·5 μm, Porina weghiana Van den Broeck, Lücking & Ertz (Porinaceae) characterized by the presence of disc-shaped isidia, yellow perithecia without apical appendages and (7–)9-septate ascospores of 33–50×5·0–6·5 μm. In addition, 53 species new for the Democratic Republic of the Congo are listed, including five species new for tropical Africa and six new for the Palaeotropics, thus raising the number of species known from the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 150 to 209. Keys are presented to all known species of Microtheliopsis and to species of Porina with disc-shaped isidia.

To what extent tropical forest persisted in the Malay-Thai Peninsula during the Last Glacial Maximum, or contracted southwards with subsequent post-glacial expansion, has long been debated. These competing scenarios might be expected to have left contrasting broad spatial patterns of diversity of forest-dependent taxa. To test for a post-glacial northward spread of forest, we examined latitudinal clines of forest-dependent bat species at 15 forest sites across Peninsular Malaysia. From captures of 3776 insectivorous forest bats, we found that low richness characterized the north of the study area: predicted richness of 9–16 species, compared with 21–23 in the south. Predicted species richness decreased significantly with increasing latitude, but showed no relationship with either seasonality or peninsula width. Analyses of beta-diversity showed that differences between communities were not related to geographical distance, although there was evidence of greater differences in species numbers between the most distant sites. Assemblages were consistently dominated by six cave-roosting species from the families Rhinolophidae and Hipposideridae, while another 16 species were consistently rare. We suggest that these observed patterns are consistent with the hypothesized northward expansion of tropical rain forest since the Last Glacial Maximum, but emphasize that more surveys in the extreme north and south of the peninsula are required to support this assertion.

Herpothallon biacidum Frisch et al. is described from Queensland, tropical Australia. The new species is characterized by a thick byssoid thallus that is loosely attached to the substratum, globular to claviform to short cylindrical pseudoisidia, a brown to brownish black hypothallus, and by the presence of gyrophoric and norstictic acids. This is the first reported co-occurrence of gyrophoric and norstictic acids in the genus. The differences between H. biacidum and other species containing either norstictic acid or gyrophoric acid are discussed. Herpothallon biacidum is also compared with Cryptothecia eungellaeae. Both occur in north Queensland and have the same chemistry, but the latter has a closely adnate thallus and lacks the dark hypothallus and pseudoisidia. The circumscription of Herpothallon and its distinction from Cryptothecia are discussed.