Ancistrosporella leucophila

Ancistrosporella leucophila is a rare species of corticolous (bark-dwelling crustose lichen in the family Roccellaceae. Originally described in 1867 from a specimen found in Colombia, it was reclassified in 2018, expanding its known range to include Venezuela. The lichen is characterised by its whitish body (thallus) and distinctive black, elongated reproductive structures. It grows in well-preserved tropical forests at varying elevations, from about 110 to 1,200 metres above sea level. Characteristics of A. leucophila include its hook-shaped spores and the presence of psoromic acid, which causes it to turn yellow-orange in a certain chemical spot test. Due to its extremely limited known distribution and the threats to its habitat from deforestation and land-use changes, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified A. leucophila as a Critically Endangered species....read more on Wikipedia.