Type: Foliicolous Fungi; Description: Ascomata hysterothecial, scattered, subepidermal, partly erumpent, lens-shaped, black with a grey surround and grey lips, large (0.5–1.7 mm long), opening by a longitudinal split, zone lines absent; on dead portions of living needles and on dead needles. Asci clavate to cylindrical, 150–220 × 10–15 μm. Ascospores filiform, 0-septate, 90–135 × 1–2 μm, smooth, hyaline. Conidiomata scattered, immersed and slightly raising the needle surface, elliptical, concolorous or slightly darker than the needle, 0.3–0.5 mm long but often coalescing, opening by a longitudinal split on one side. Conidia rod-shaped, 4–9 × 1 μm, smooth, hyaline.

Distribution: Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Taupo, Rangitikei, Wanganui, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Buller, Westland, Marlborough Sounds, Southland.; 1st Record: Minter (1981).

Significance: Johnston (1992) recorded 24 species of Lophodermium in New Zealand, mostly on fallen leaves. Only two of these and the recently reported L. molitoris (Johnston et al. 2003) are known from living leaves. For descriptions of the other species, see Johnston (1989). Before the appearance of Minter’s (1981) monograph on species of Lophodermium on pines, the three species now known to be present on Pinus spp. in New Zealand were collectively called Lophodermium pinastri. In association with Cyclaneusma minus, they were considered to be responsible for a periodic needle-cast of Pinus radiata (Gilmour 1966a). It has since been shown that this needle-cast is attributable to C. minus alone. Species of Lophodermium present in New Zealand are regarded as saprobes although they are endophytic in needles of P. radiata (Gadgil 1984). In New Zealand, L. conigenum and L. pinastri are both common in pine plantations; L. molitoris is known from a single collection. The only major pathogenic species, Lophodermium seditiosum Minter, Staley & Millar (Minter & Millar 1980) is not present in New Zealand.; Host(s): Pinus contorta, P. radiata.