Die parasitische FlechteLecidea insidiosa und ihre Biologie

Abstract

Lecidea insidiosa, up to now regarded as a lichenicolous fungus without thallus, is a parasitic lichen, growing exclusively onLecanora varia. It kills the plectenchyma of the host, but presumably takes over part of the host-algae to build its own thallus, first inside, then outside of the host thallus. Host and parasite thallus are chemically different.Lecidea insidiosa is not related toLecidea vitellinaria, even though the two were thought to be synonymous for a long time. The species is reported for the first time from the Alps (Steiermark). It is the first known parasitic lichen to occur on a normally wood inhabiting host.