Rusty Firedot Lichen
Blastenia ferruginea
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blastenia_ferruginea
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Teloschistales
Family
Teloschistaceae
Genus
Blastenia
Rusty Firedot Lichen belongs to the family Teloschistaceae, order Teloschistales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Rusty Firedot Lichen faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and sulfur compounds, which dramatically alter the chemical composition of its substrate and surrounding environment. Habitat loss through urbanization and industrial development has eliminated many suitable rock surfaces and old-growth forest sites where this species historically occurred. Climate change is creating increasingly unsuitable conditions through altered precipitation patterns and temperature extremes that disrupt the delicate moisture balance required for lichen survival.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Inhabits exposed siliceous rocks, stone walls, and occasionally bark of old trees in coastal and montane environments. Typically found on acidic substrates in areas with clean air and specific moisture conditions, often in association with other crustose lichen communities.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Rusty Firedot Lichen faces severe threats from air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition and sulfur compounds, which dramatically alter the chemical composition of its substrate and surrounding environment. Habitat loss through urbanization and industrial development has eliminated many suitable rock surfaces and old-growth forest sites where this species historically occurred. Climate change is creating increasingly unsuitable conditions through altered precipitation patterns and temperature extremes that disrupt the delicate moisture balance required for lichen survival.
Acid rain altering rock chemistry
Air pollution and nitrogen deposition
Climate change impacts on moisture regimes
Habitat loss from urbanization
Industrial development destroying substrate
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). Rusty Firedot Lichen (Blastenia ferruginea). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/rusty-firedot-lichen