Scutula circumspecta
Local name: hämylehtojäkälä
Scutula circumspecta is a small crustose lichen that forms thin, grayish patches on tree bark with distinctive dark margins around its fruiting bodies. This epiphytic species plays an important ecological role in forest ecosystems by contributing to nutrient cycling and providing microhabitat for invertebrates.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Lecanorales
Family
Byssolomataceae
Genus
Scutula
Scutula circumspecta belongs to the family Byssolomataceae, order Lecanorales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Scutula circumspecta is a small crustose lichen that forms thin, grayish patches on tree bark with distinctive dark margins around its fruiting bodies. This epiphytic species plays an important ecological role in forest ecosystems by contributing to nutrient cycling and providing microhabitat for invertebrates.
Scutula circumspecta, a critically endangered lichen species, faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized substrate requirements. Air pollution and climate change further threaten the remaining populations by altering the delicate environmental conditions this species requires for survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
This lichen grows exclusively on the smooth bark of mature deciduous trees, particularly favoring ash, maple, and elm in old-growth and semi-natural forests. It requires stable microclimatic conditions with high humidity and minimal air pollution, typically found in undisturbed woodland areas away from urban and agricultural influences.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Scutula circumspecta, a critically endangered lichen species, faces severe decline primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized substrate requirements. Air pollution and climate change further threaten the remaining populations by altering the delicate environmental conditions this species requires for survival.
Air pollution and acid deposition
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Substrate degradation
Climate change and altered precipitation patterns
Human disturbance and trampling
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). Scutula circumspecta (Scutula circumspecta). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/hamylehtojakala