Artomyces microsporus (Auriscalpiaceae), a rare species that may be confused with A. pyxidatus

Artomyces microsporus, a lignicolous basidiomycete first reported in Europe from Ukraine almost two decades ago, is morphologically quite similar to A. pyxidatus, the most commonly encountered species of the genus across the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. This survey is aimed at defining useful characters for the reliable distinction of these species in the field, in addition to species identification based on molecular data. Both morphological characters of the basidiomes and host/substrate preferences of A. microsporus are considered. The defined characters for identification of A. microsporus can be widely used by citizen scientists providing observations of the fungal occurrences for biodiversity repositories and social media networks. The reliable data for the species identification will contribute to determining the distribution patterns of A. microsporus regionally and worldwide.