New records of corticioid fungi from Sicily

: This paper is the result of an on-going study on distribution and ecology of corticioid wood-inhabiting fungi in Sicily. Twenty-five species not previously recorded in Sicily are here listed. For each taxon, ecological and distributional data are provided. Subulicystidium perlongisporum was recorded in Italy for the first time in two localities occurring on Quercus ilex L. wood. Description, distributional and ecological data of this rare taxon are also provided. Dendrophora versiformis and Kavinia alboviridis, considered rare species in Italy and Europe, are included in this report.

The objective of this contribution is to improve the knowledge on distribution and ecology of corticioid fungi in Sicily. Very few studies have been carried out concerning corticioid fungi from Mediterranean ecosystems. Corticioid fungi are basidiomycetes with effused basidiomata, a smooth, merulioid or hydnoid hymenophore, and holobasidia (Larsson 2007), included in the group of aphyllophoroid fungi. Knowledge on diversity of aphyllophoroid wood-inhabiting fungi in Italy has increased remarkably over the last years: altogether, 770 taxa have been recorded in Italy (Saitta et al. 2011). Data on diversity and distribution of aphyllophoroid species in Sicily were published in several papers (Saitta et al. 2004;Bernicchia et al. 2007;Bernicchia et al. 2008;Saitta and Venturella 2010;Saitta et al. 2011). New distributional and ecological information on new, uncommon and/or rare corticioid species has been recently published (Saitta and Melo 2012;Gorjón and Saitta 2014;Pecoraro et al. 2014;Saitta et al. 2014aSaitta et al. , 2014b. The number of recorded corticioid species in Sicily is 102 (see Appendix) excluding the new records herein. Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island and is predominantly hilly and mountainous. Sicily lies between 35° N and 38° N and 012° E and 015° E; its climate is Mediterranean with mild and rainy winters, and warm and dry summers.
The species reported in this study were collected from January 2012 to March 2015. Records were derived from a larger mycological study on wood-inhabiting corticioid fungi in Sicily. Regular and planned survey trips were conducted in several localities (Figure 1 and 2) and on various substrata. Basidiomata of corticioid fungi were collected in Mediterranean maquis, the broadleaved and coniferous forests of Sicily. Broadleaved forests are dominated by oak species, especially Quercus ilex L. and Q. suber L. Coniferous forests are dominated by Pinus species. Fungi were collected on fallen trunks and branches, removed from substrata with a sharp knife and placed in a paper bag. Samples were taken to the laboratory for microscopic examination. The nomenclature of fungal species follows CBS (http:// www.cbs.knaw.nl/databases/aphyllo/database.aspx) and Mycobank (http://www.mycobank.org), except in a few cases, and for plants the International Plant Names Index (http://www.ipni.org). Each species is accompanied by ecological and distributional data, date of collection and collection numbers. Excluding the specimen deposited at the herbarium of University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia (TU) all vouchers specimens are deposited at the herbarium of the Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia, Venice, Italy (MCVE).
Macroscopic examinations were carried out on fresh basidiomata while the microscopic features were observed under a Zeiss Axioskop. Dried specimens were rehydrated using a 0.3% KOH solution and stained with 0.1% cotton blue in lactic acid, Melzer's and Congo Red reagents. Spore measurements are based on 30 observations of fresh and dried samples. All specimens were collected and identified by AS and confirmed by CL. Species identifications were based on Eriksson and Ryvarden (1973, 1975, 1976, Eriksson et al. (1984), Hjortstam et al. (1988), and Bernicchia and Gorjón (2010).

Notes oN GeoGraphic DistributioN
Saitta and Losi | Corticioid fungi from Sicily Subulicystidium perlongisporum Boidin & Gilles ( Figure  3) is a first report for Italy. This rare corticioid species was previously recorded in Europe only in Spain and Denmark (see remarks).
Many listed species are considered rare in Italy (see remarks).    Remarks: This species is considered rare in Italy by Bernicchia and Gorjón (2010). It was previously collected only from the Lazio and Tuscany regions (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010). The sole reliable character separating A. dextrinoideocerussatum from A. cerussatum seems to be the acanthophyses with dextrinoid and branched protuberances (Moreno et al. 1990).
Remarks: Within the genus Amylocorticium, A. cebenn ense is characterized by lack of cystidia, presence of clamps and allantoid spores. It occurs mostly in the northern part of Italy (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010) and this record extends the distribution to southern Italy. Remarks: This is a species with distribution in southern Europe, and may be a thermophilic species (Eriksson and Ryvarden 1975 Remarks: This rare species is characterized by its brown dendrohyphidia. The specimen was collected in a rocky area with a few Q. ilex. This is the second Italian record (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010).
Remarks: This is a widely distributed species in Europe, recorded only from Emilia Romagna, Sardegna and Veneto regions in Italy (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010). Trechispora microspora is characterized by the hymenophore smooth to granulose, the presence of numerous acicular crystals, the basidia shortly cylindrical and basidiospores verrucose with an evident apiculus. (Liberta 1966 (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010). The ellipsoid, sparsely and irregularly aculeate to tuberculate basidiospores are the best character for its determination (Larsson 1992).
Remarks: This is a widely distributed species in Europe, with few records in Italy (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010). The genus Tubulicium is characterized by its multi-rooted lyocystidia covered by dendroid hyphae. The sigmoid, vermicular to navicular spores distinguish T. vermiferum from the other European species.
Remarks: The cystidia, with a slight median constriction toward the obtuse apical region, are the most characteristic feature of this species which is uncommon in Italy, but widely distributed in Europe (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010). (Donk 1956: 14) Materials Remarks: This is a rare species in Italy. Xylodon rimosissimus can be recognized by its whitish basidiomes, open texture and cystidia with several constrictions (Moreno et al. 1990).
Remarks: This is a very rare species in Italy (Bernicchia and Gorjón 2010), X. spathulatus is macro-and microscopically sometimes difficult to determine. The presence of two kinds of cystidia, slightly acute with obtuse apex sometimes slightly sinuous and constricted, serve to identify this taxon.
This list of new records for 25 species of corticoids from Sicily adds new information on the distribution and ecology of this group of fungi in Italy and Europe. The findings of rare and uncommon species provide useful information for future conservation actions. There is still more to be learned about the diversity on corticioid fungi in the Mediterranean region and the role of corticoid fungi in this ecosystem.