Genus Dimorphomyces Thaxt.

MB#1590

Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 28: 157 (Thaxter 1893). –

Type species: D. denticulatus Thaxt.

Brief description

Dioecious. Male thalli consisting of a receptacle with a few cells, compound antheridia and an unbranched primary appendage. Female thalli consisting of a horizontal row of cells, underlain by the laterally elongated cell I. Cells of the receptacle give rise to perithecia, secondary appendages and an unbranched primary appendage. Perithecium with an undetermined number of cells in each vertical row of outer wall cells, only the 2–3 upper cells being visible at maturity. As perithecia matures, wall cells of stalk and basal cells degrade and vanish.

Remarks

The genus consists of 29 species, of which three in Europe, two in Denmark. The most recently described species is D. carolinae (Rossi 2010) . Dimorphomyces and Dimeromyces are very closely related genera only distinguished because the female thalli of the former show a laterally elongate cell I which supports a row of cells (Tavares 1985).

Key to the Danish species

1. Perithecial apex showing a brown, almost darkened preapical suffusion in a bulging uppermost wall cell, near the subapical ostiole. Primary appendage three-celled, without dark septa, supporting a terminal, narrow and darker cell. On Phloeopora Erichson, 1837 (Col. Staphylinidae Aleocharinae).................................................................................................. D. phloeoporae Thaxt.

– Perithecia uniformly coloured. Primary appendage three-celled, with darkened septa, supporting a terminal, narrow and paler cell. On other staphylinids................................. D. myrmedoniae Thaxt.