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The Cladia aggregata complex is one of the phenotypically most variable groups in lichenized fungi, making species determination difficult and resulting in different classifications accepting between one to eight species. Multi-locus DNA sequence data provide an avenue to test species delimitation scenarios using genealogical and coalescent methods, employing gene and species trees. Here we tested species delimitation in the complex using molecular data of four loci (nuITS and IGS rDNA, protein-coding GAPDH and Mcm-7), including 474 newly generated sequences. Using a combination of ML and Bayesian gene tree topologies, species tree inferences, coalescent-based species delimitation, and examination of phenotypic variation we assessed the circumscription of lineages. We propose that results from our analyses support a 12 species delimitation scenario, suggesting that there is a high level of species diversity in the complex. Morphological and chemical characters often do not characterize lineages but show some degree of plasticity within at least some of the clades. However, clades can often be characterized by a combination of several phenotypical characters. In contrast to the amount of homoplasy in the morphological characters, the data set exhibits some geographical patterns with putative species having distribution patterns, such as austral, Australasian or being endemic to Australia, New Zealand or Tasmania.

Tropical regions harbor a substantial diversity of lichenized fungi, but face numerous threats to their persistence, often even before previously unknown species have been described and their evolutionary relationships have been elucidated. Megalaria (Ramalinaceae) is a lichen-forming genus of fungi that produces crustose thalli, and includes a number of lineages occupying tropical rain forests; however, taxonomic and phylogenetic work on this clade is limited. Here we leverage both morphological and sequence data to describe a new species from the tropics, M. pachaylenophila . This taxon forms a crustose thallus, lacks secondary metabolites, and occurs in mangrove forests of Thailand. We supplemented molecular data from this species with data from other species, including two genera related to and occasionally included in Megalaria , namely Catillochroma and Lopezaria . Our analyses revealed Catillochroma species form a monophyletic group embedded within Megalaria , and we therefore recognize this clade at the subgeneric level. Since we only included the type species of Lopezaria in this study, we refrain from proposing a taxonomic conclusion for that clade at the moment. Several taxonomic combinations are made to reflect phylogenetic evidence supporting the inclusion of these species in Megalaria .

A new revised checklist of lichenized fungi in Thailand is presented, including 1, 292 species. Recent work on the taxonomy of these organisms in Thailand resulted in an enormous increase in our knowledge of the lichen biota of the country – the current checklist includes more than twice as many species as the previous catalogue published 15 years ago – and phylogenetic studies resulted in numerous changes in the generic classification of lichenized fungi. Hence, a new checklist is here presented summarizing the current knowledge of lichens in Thailand. Six new records are reported, viz. Acanthothecis salazinica , Bactrospora metabola , Buellia parastata , Diploschistes cinereocaesius , Rolfidium coccocarpioides , and Trapelia placodioides . Five previously recorded species, namely Lecanora carpinea , Platismatia glauca , P. lacunosa , P. tuckermanii and Roccella phycopsis are shown to be based on misidentifications and are excluded from the checklist. Three new combinations of species previously placed in Pertusaria to Lepra are proposed: L. bulolensis (A.W.Archer, Elix & Streimann) Schmitt & Lumbsch, L. patellifera (A.W.Archer) Schmitt & Lumbsch, and L. subventosa (Malme) Schmitt & Lumbsch. Asia, biodiversity, lichens, new records, taxonomy

Peltigeralean lichenized fungi were surveyed in the mangroves of Trat Province at the eastern coast of Thailand. Eleven species were found belonging to the genera Coccocarpia, Lepidocollema, Leptogium and Physma. Among them, the genus Coccocarpia was most abundant and diverse. Lepidocollema wainioi was also recorded here from Thailand for the first time. Based on the current classification of the peltigeralean fungi the phylogenetic placement of the suborder Collematineae was evaluated using a combined dataset of nuclear ITS and mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches revealed issues with the species delimitation in the genera Coccocarpia and Lepidocollema, where the data indicated non-monophyletic lineages. Additional studies with extended sampling will be necessary to address species boundaries in these lichens.

Phylogenetic relationships of the genera Cladia and Heterodea were reconstructed using a combined dataset of nuclear ITS, nuclear LSU and mitochondrial SSU rDNA sequences. Based on different analyses (Bayesian approach, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood), the ingroup (Cladia + Heterodea) is strongly supported as monophyletic. Pilophorus strumaticus has a well supported sister-group relationship to the ingroup and together they form a sister group with a well-supported clade, which includes Metus conglomeratus and Pycnothelia papillaria. The Shimodaira-Hasegawa test and the ELW test significantly rejected monophyly of Cladia excluding Heterodea. Within Cladia three main clades can be distinguished which share morphological and chemical characters. The position of the foliose genus Heterodea within the fruticose Cladia is supported by anatomical and chemical characters. The species of clade II that includes two Cladia species and Heterodea share a similar type of upper cortex and two-layered medulla with an inner or lower medulla consisting of dark pigmented, thick-walled hyphae. Our phylogenetic estimate and the anatomical studies indicate that the foliose thallus of Heterodea originated from pseudopodetia of Cladia. It is discussed that the species currently classified in Cladia and Heterodea need to be placed in the same genus.

Mainland Southeast Asia, the region that includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Peninsular Malaysia, is known for its high diversity of freshwater fishes. Recently, however, intensive exploitation pressures have been threatening this biodiversity. The Nagao Natural Environment Foundation (NEF), from Japan, has created an online database, Fishes of Mainland Southeast Asia.

Ever since the discovery of the first indigenous case in 1981, paragonimiasis has gained recognition as a significant food borne parasitic zoonosis in India. The data available on the occurrence of paragonimiasis, until today, may be just the tip of an iceberg as the study areas covered were restricted to Northeast Indian States. Nevertheless, the results of research on paragonimiasis in India have revealed valuable information in epidemiology, life cycle, pathobiology and speciation of Indian Paragonimus. Potamiscus manipurensis, Alcomon superciliosum and Maydelliathelphusa lugubris were identified as the crab hosts of Paragonimus. Paragonimus miyazakii manipurinus n. sub sp., P. hueit'ungensis, P. skrjabini, P. heterotremus, P. compactus, and P. westermani have been described from India. P. heterotremus was found as the causative agent of human paragonimiasis. Ingestion of undercooked crabs and raw crab extract was the major mode of infection. Pulmonary paragonimiasis was the commonest clinical manifestation while pleural effusion and subcutaneous nodules were the common extra-pulmonary forms. Clinico-radiological features of pulmonary paragonimiasis simulated pulmonary tuberculosis. Intradermal test, ELISA and Dot-immunogold filtration assay (DIGFA) were used for diagnosis and epidemiological survey of paragonimiasis. Phylogenitically, Indian Paragonimus species, although nested within the respective clade were distantly related to others within the clade.

Ever since the discovery of the first indigenous case in 1981, paragonimiasis has gained recognition as a significant food borne parasitic zoonosis in India. The data available on the occurrence of paragonimiasis, until today, may be just the tip of an iceberg as the study areas covered were restricted to Northeast Indian States. Nevertheless, the results of research on paragonimiasis in India have revealed valuable information in epidemiology, life cycle, pathobiology and speciation of Indian Paragonimus. Potamiscus manipurensis, Alcomon superciliosum and Maydelliathelphusa lugubris were identified as the crab hosts of Paragonimus. Paragonimus miyazakii manipurinus n. sub sp., P. hueit′ungensis, P. skrjabini, P. heterotremus, P. compactus, and P. westermani have been described from India. P. heterotremus was found as the causative agent of human paragonimiasis. Ingestion of undercooked crabs and raw crab extract was the major mode of infection. Pulmonary paragonimiasis was the commonest clinical manifestation while pleural effusion and subcutaneous nodules were the common extra-pulmonary forms. Clinico-radiological features of pulmonary paragonimiasis simulated pulmonary tuberculosis. Intradermal test, ELISA and Dot-immunogold filtration assay (DIGFA) were used for diagnosis and epidemiological survey of paragonimiasis. Phylogenitically, Indian Paragonimus species, although nested within the respective clade were distantly related to others within the clade.