Chaenothecopsis viridireagens
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Fungus or lichen > fungus > Lichenicolous fungus |
| Red List Status: | Near Threatened (Not Relevant) [NT(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Chaenothecopsis viridireagens |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Nádv.) A.F.W. Schmidt |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Woods & Coppins, 2012 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Although there are only 2 English records of this species in England, (Yorkshire (1860) and North West (2001)), the host species is far more widespread. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Although data is limited, this appears to be a genuinely rare species, confined to a scarce habitat. Species-specific steps can be taken to limit or stop preventable decline. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | There is no evidence that an increase in the structural diversity of the habitat will directly benefit this species. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Relict or natural rarity |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | There is a JNCC recognised redlist for GB, but that is over 10 years old and would benefit from a review. The recovery potential is low because of the species' apparent rarity in England. This species is a parasite on Chaenotheca stemonea & C.trichialis. Which are generally found in deep bark crevices of old trees/wood. This species appears to be limited to hosts found in sub-oceanic old-growth woodlands. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: A targeted survey of the 2 known English sites should be conducted as well as a desk study of other potential populations
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: N/A
Comments: At the time of this assessment there was an ongoing redlisting project. The redlisting exercise may have already carried out the desk study requirements of this action, and so should be referred to in the first instance.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Review habitat management at extant sites and assess suitability for preventing decline or extinction of this species.
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Single recent site in England, not named in record data as well as any other sites that are identified by Action 1
Comments: Review will need to look at best management for target species, its host lichen, and the trees on which the host lichen grows.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Seek getting protection of host trees, and other beneficial management into Site Management Plan.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Advice & support
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Single recent site in England, not named in record data as well as any other sites that are identified by Action 1
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.