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The genus Dlhawksworthia presently includes three species. All the previously described species have been isolated from plants. Besides, none of these three species have ever been recorded in China. We conducted surveys in various regions of China to isolate and identify endolichenic fungi associated with diverse lichen species. During these surveys, we isolated both previously known and undescribed fungi associated with lichens. Among these, there was an isolate of an unknown fungus. The morphological and molecular analyses indicated that this isolate represented a new species from the genus Dlhawksworthia. As a consequence, we described this fungus as Dlhawksworthia flavoparmeliae sp. nov. This is the first report of Dlhawksworthia isolated from a lichen in China and globally.

Dlhawksworthia flavoparmeliae H.L. Si, X.X. Zheng, sp. nov. Mycobank: MB840080, FIGURE 2 Etymology: ���Name reflects the lichen, Flavoparmelia caperata, from which this species was isolated. Holotype: ��� CHINA. Yunnan province: Jingdong county, Ailao Mountain, isolated from Flavoparmelia caperata, 2460m, 24��32���22.60��� N, 101��01���62.91��� E, 10 October 2020, H.L. Si. Ex-type culture: 8004a = CGMCC3.20307, type specimen= HAMS 350286. Diagnoses: ���Conidia unicellular, 0-1 septate, white or light grey in colour, catenulate, apical and lateral in position. Sexual morph absent. Ecology and Distribution: ���The only isolate of this fungus was recovered from Flavoparmelia caperata in the Yunnan province of China. Description: ���Sexual morph unknown. Asexual morph: Hyphae sessile, and irregular, smooth, thin-walled, branched, 0.8���3.1 ��m in diam. Conidia stalk solitary, transparent to light brown in colour. Conidia round, unicellular, 0���1 septate, smooth wall, catenulate, measuring (1.66���) 2.42���4.04 (���5.34) �� (2.47���) 3.63���5.73 (���6.94) ��m (x�� = 3.23 �� 4.65 ��m, n = 50) (FIGURE 2 g ���l). Culture characteristics and growth: ���After 20 days, on all tested microbial media, the colonies were round, but with irregular margins. On PDA, the center of the colony was slightly raised with aerial hyphae encircling it, and the underside of the culture was dark reddish-brown (FIGURE 2 a, b). On MEA, the colony had radiating striations with fewer aerial hyphae. The underside of the culture was salmon (FIGURE 2 c, d). On OA, the centre of the colony was white with a brown margin (FIGURE 2 e, f). The underside of the culture had an orangish hue, while the edges were brown. The optimal temperature on PDA for growth was 20 ��C, reaching 16.2 mm diam. in 7 days. The growth rate was substantially slower at 5 ��C, 2.7mm diam. in 7 days. No growth was observed at temperatures above 30 ��C. Notes: ���In the phylogenetic trees, Dl. flavoparmeliae was found in a clade that included all previously reported species in this genus (FIGURE 1, 100% ML, 100% MP, 1.00 BYPP). Still, Dl. flavoparmeliae can be morphologically distinguished from previously known species. Dlhawksworthia flavoparmeliae has smaller conidia size (1.66���5.34 �� 2.47���6.94 ��m) than Dl. lonicerae (14���17 �� 7���8 ��m), Dl. alliariae (14���17.5 �� 6.4���8.4 ��m), and Dl. clematidicola (17���23 �� 10���13 ��m). Conidia of Dl. flavoparmeliae are catenulate, which is lacking in other species. Furthermore, conidia of Dl. flavoparmeliae have 0���1 transverse septum, which is less than the other three known species (Hyde et al. 2016, Wanasinghe et al. 2018)., Published as part of Si, Hong-Li, Zheng, Xiao-Xiao, Li, Xin-Chao, Su, Yue-Min, Bose, Tanay & Chang, Run-Lei, 2021, Dlhawksworthia flavoparmeliae sp. nov., a new endolichenic fungus in Phaeosphaeriaceae, pp. 51-58 in Phytotaxa 525 (1) on pages 54-56, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.525.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/5681839, {"references":["Hyde, K. D., Hongsanan, S., Jeewon, R., Bhat, D. J., McKenzie, E. H. C., Jones, E. B. G., Phookamsak, R., Ariyawansa, H. A., Boonmee, S., Zhao, Q., Abdel-Aziz, F. A., Abdel Wahab, M. A., Banmai, S., Chomnunti, P., Cui, B. - K., Daranagama, D. A., Das, K., Dayarathne, M. C., Silva, N. I. de., Dissanayake, A. J., Doilom, M., Ekanayaka, A. H., Gibertoni, T. B., Go'es-Neto, A., Huang, S. - K., Jayasiri, S. C., Jayawardena, R. S., Konta, S., Lee, H. B., Li, W. - J., Lin, C. - G., Liu, J. - K., Lu, Y. - Z., Luo, Z. - L., Manawasinghe, I. S., Manimohan, P., Mapook, A., Niskanen, T., Norphanphoun, C., Papizadeh, M., Perera, R. H., Phukhamsakda, C., Richter, C., Santiago, A. L. C. M. de A., Drechsler-Santos, E. R., Senanayake, I. C. & Tanaka, K. (2016) Fungal diversity notes 367 - 490: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions to fungal taxa. Fungal Diversity 80: 1 - 270. http: // doi. org / 10.1007 / s 13225 - 016 - 0373 - x"]}

Key to species of Dlhawksworthia 1. Sexual morph present, ascomata scattered, dark brown to black in colour, ostiolate........................................................................2 - Sexual morph absent...........................................................................................................................................................................3 2. Ascospores with 3 transverse septa, and 0���3(���4) vertical septa ................................................................ Dlhawksworthia alliariae - Ascospores with 3 transverse septate, and 1 vertical septum ...................................................................... Dlhawksworthia lonicera 3. Conidiomata present, conidia with 2���3 transverse septa.................................................................... Dlhawksworthia clematidicola - Conidiomata absent, conidia with 0���1 transverse septum ................................................................ Dlhawksworthia flavoparmeliae, Published as part of Si, Hong-Li, Zheng, Xiao-Xiao, Li, Xin-Chao, Su, Yue-Min, Bose, Tanay & Chang, Run-Lei, 2021, Dlhawksworthia flavoparmeliae sp. nov., a new endolichenic fungus in Phaeosphaeriaceae, pp. 51-58 in Phytotaxa 525 (1) on page 56, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.525.1.6, http://zenodo.org/record/5681839