Candy Lichen
Icmadophila ericetorum
Icmadophila ericetorum is a species of lichen belonging to the family Icmadophilaceae.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icmadophila_ericetorum
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Pertusariales
Family
Icmadophilaceae
Genus
Icmadophila
Candy Lichen belongs to the family Icmadophilaceae, order Pertusariales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Icmadophila ericetorum is a species of lichen belonging to the family Icmadophilaceae.
Candy Lichen (Icmadophila ericetorum) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized acidic soil environments in heathlands and moorlands. Air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and acid rain, has severely altered the chemical composition of soils that this species requires for survival. Climate change is further exacerbating these threats by altering precipitation patterns and temperature regimes in its remaining habitats.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Candy Lichen (Icmadophila ericetorum) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized acidic soil environments in heathlands and moorlands. Air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and acid rain, has severely altered the chemical composition of soils that this species requires for survival. Climate change is further exacerbating these threats by altering precipitation patterns and temperature regimes in its remaining habitats.
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Habitat loss and fragmentation of heathlands
Soil chemistry alteration
Climate change impacts
Land use changes and development
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Candy Lichen (Icmadophila ericetorum). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/candy-lichen