Laboulbenia similis A. Weir, M. McHugh & W. Rossi, sp. nov.
Index Fungorum number: IF 900434; MycoBank number: MB 900434; Facesoffungi number: FoF 14185; Fig. 1
Etymology – From Latin: referring to the similarity of this species with Laboulbenia stigmatophora described in this same contribution.
Thallus mostly erect to slightly sigmoid, with brown punctation especially in cell I and below the perithecium. Total length from foot to tip of perithecium, 140–230 µm. Receptacle Cell I suffused with brown near to the foot, becoming hyaline in the middle, and heavily punctate with brown along the septum with cell II and on the outer margins, rectangular to slightly curved and tapering towards
the foot, forming a distinct stalk, 38–50×13–20 µm. Cell II located directly above cell I, hyaline to slightly mottled to darkly punctate especially along the outer margin, rectangular to quadrate, 25–33×15–23 µm. Cell III hyaline to mottled with brown spots, triangular, 18–25×13–20 µm, giving rise
distally to cell IV. Cells IV and V hyaline or variably punctate, both longer than broad and separated from each other by an almost vertical septum. Cell IV 18–28 ×13–20 µm, Cell V 23–33 × 8–13 µm. Appendages formed above a brown, narrow, flattened insertion cell that is usually at the same level with the base of the perithecium. Outer basal cell large, hyaline, barrel-shaped, 13–15×13–15 µm, giving way to a larger superposed, hyaline to pale brown cell, which in turn produces two long, sturdy, septate appendages. Inner appendage basal cell much smaller than outer, 10–13×8–10 µm, hyaline to pale brown giving way distally to a pale brown suprabasal cell of equal size or longer. The
suprabasal cell bears two short, flexuous branches which may support antheridia. Perithecium stalk cells (VI and VII) relatively large, bulging outwards and deeply punctate with dark brown along the outer margin. Perithecium largely suffused with brown with darker blotches subterminally below the rounded lip cells. Perithecium 100–120× 40–53 µm, basally constricted, then more or less straight, and finally abruptly tapering to the narrow apex with two crest-like protrusions emerging from the outer margin just below the abruptly tapered apical region. Apex erect, overall dark, and not distinctly turned inwards.
Material examined – Indonesia, Sulawesi Utara Province, Dumoga-Bone National Park, Plot A, lowland forest, el. ca. 200 m, Base camp, I.1985, P.M. Hammond, on the edge of the elytra of Hyphaereon cf. timidus Darlington (BM(NH) Code No. 4.74) (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini), K(M) 43520, holotype; AW 241 in SYR, isotype.
Notes – Eleven mature and two immature thalli have been examined on the edge of the elytra of Hyphaereon cf. timidus. Thalli of our collection (K(M) 43520) are apparently similar to Laboulbenia stigmatophora A. Weir, M. McHugh & W. Rossi which is described in this study. However, our collection differs from Laboulbenia stigmatophora by the orientation and colour of the perithecial tip and in the detail of the appendages, with our collection having more erect and darker perithecial tip and more robust and less branched appendages. The combination of deeply punctate receptacular cells, perithecial morphology and coloration, and relatively simple, rigid appendage branches make our collection a distinguished species from others species in the genus. Thus, we introduce our collection as Laboulbenia similis sp. nov.