Laurer's Catillaria
Megalaria laureri
Laurer's Catillaria is a crustose lichen species that forms thin, grayish to brownish crusts on tree bark and occasionally rock surfaces. This inconspicuous lichen produces small, dark apothecia (fruiting bodies) and plays an important ecological role in nutrient cycling and providing microhabitat for invertebrates in forest ecosystems.
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Lecanorales
Family
Ramalinaceae
Genus
Megalaria
Laurer's Catillaria belongs to the family Ramalinaceae, order Lecanorales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Laurer's Catillaria is a crustose lichen species that forms thin, grayish to brownish crusts on tree bark and occasionally rock surfaces. This inconspicuous lichen produces small, dark apothecia (fruiting bodies) and plays an important ecological role in nutrient cycling and providing microhabitat for invertebrates in forest ecosystems.
Laurer's Catillaria is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation from deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development in its limited range. Air pollution and climate change are also contributing to the deterioration of suitable lichen habitat conditions.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Laurer's Catillaria typically grows on the smooth bark of deciduous trees, particularly favoring mature beech, maple, and ash trees in old-growth and semi-natural forests. The species requires stable microclimatic conditions with consistent humidity levels and minimal air pollution, often found in sheltered forest interiors away from urban and agricultural influences.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Laurer's Catillaria is declining primarily due to habitat loss and degradation from deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban development in its limited range. Air pollution and climate change are also contributing to the deterioration of suitable lichen habitat conditions.
Agricultural expansion
Habitat loss from deforestation
Air pollution affecting lichen growth
Climate change altering microhabitat conditions
Urban 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). Laurer's Catillaria (Megalaria laureri). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/laurers-catillaria