''Sphaerellothecium araneosum'' is a species of

lichenicolous fungus A lichenicolous fungus is a parasitic fungus that only lives on lichen as the host. A lichenicolous fungus is not the same as the fungus that is the component of the lichen, which is known as a lichenized fungus. They are most commonly specific t ...

in the family

Phyllachoraceae Phyllachoraceae is a family of sac fungi. Genera As accepted by 2020 Outline (with amount of species per genus); *''Ascovaginospora'' (1) *'' Brobdingnagia'' (4) *'' Camarotella'' (8) *'' Coccodiella'' (27) *''Cyclodomus'' (5) *'' Desh ...

Distribution

''Sphaerellothecium araneosum'' has been reported from the highlands of

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

and the

Arctic desert The Arctic desert ecoregion (WWF ID: PA1101) is a terrestrial ecoregion that covers the island groups of Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, Severny Island and Severnaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean, above 75 degrees north latitude. The region is covered ...

Severnaya Zemlya Severnaya Zemlya (russian: link=no, Сéверная Земля́ (Northern Land), ) is a archipelago in the Russian high Arctic. It lies off Siberia's Taymyr Peninsula, separated from the mainland by the Vilkitsky Strait. This archipelago ...

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Host species and symptoms

''Sphaerellothecium araneosum'' commonly grows on species of ''

Ochrolechia ''Ochrolechia'' is a genus of crustose lichens in the family Ochrolechiaceae. Species , Species Fungorum accepts 38 species of ''Ochrolechia'': *''Ochrolechia aegaea'' *''Ochrolechia africana'' *''Ochrolechia alaskana'' *''Ochrolechia altic ...

'', such as ''

Ochrolechia frigida ''Ochrolechia frigida'' is a species of lichen belonging to the family Ochrolechiaceae. It was first formally described by Olof Peter Swartz in 1781, as ''Lichen frigidus''. Bernt Arne Lynge transferred it to ''Ochrolechia'' in 1928. It is a ...

'' but it also grows on ''

Stereocaulon rivulorum ''Stereocaulon rivulorum'' is a species of snow lichen belonging to the family Stereocaulaceae. Ecology ''Stereocaulon rivulorum'' is a known host to the lichenicolous fungus species: * ''Arthonia stereocaulina'' * ''Catillaria stereocaulorum ...

'' and '' Stereocaulon vesuvianum'', on which it causes no known symptoms. It is common in '' Cladonia pocillum'' and ''

Cladonia symphycarpia ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets ...

'', and less common but present in ''

Cladonia coccifera ''Cladonia coccifera'' or madame's cup lichen is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Swedish lichenologist Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work ''Species Plantarum''. German botanist Carl Ludwig Wi ...

'', '' Cladonia gracilis'', '' Cladonia macroceras'', '' Cladonia pyxidata'' and ''

Cladonia subcervicornis ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets ...

''. The population infecting ''Cladonia'' is considered a separate

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from other ''Sphaerellothecium araneosum''.

References

Sordariomycetes Fungi described in 1897 Fungi of Russia Lichenicolous fungi Taxa named by Ferdinand Christian Gustav Arnold {{Sordariomycetes-stub