Basionym: Lecanora aphanotripta Nyl., Lich. Japon.: 104. 1890; MB#387633.

Description. Thallus thin and very poorly developed, either as a whitish to pale bluish green, membranaceous hypothallus, or as a waxy, continuous to barely rimose crust, not distinctly delimited, effuse; surface dark olive gray, smooth, dull, epruinose, very densely covered by slightly darker, small, granular to ± coralloid to almost subsquamulose isidia that are irregularly grouped and ~ 40 μm thick. Apothecia orange to rusty orange, sparse, dispersed, immersed between the isidia, up to 1 mm in diam, ‘zeorine’ (i.e., with both a distinct thalline and proper margin); thalline margin composed of dark olive gray, irregularly granular isidia, epruinose, C-, K-; proper margin ~0.1 mm thick, initially prominent, later level with the disc, circular to ± flexuose, orange, slightly paler than the disc, epruinose (but in parts reacting C+ red); disc plane to very slightly convex, deep orange to rusty orange, epruinose, C-, K+ purple;  epihymenium with orange pigment granules, K+ purple, C+ red, contiguous with the outer exciple; hymenium hyaline, not inspersed; proper exciple differentiated into an inner part  lacking crystals, and an outer part with orange pigment granules, K+ purple, C+ red; thalline exciple in section not well developed and disintegrating; subhymenium and hypothecium not differentiated, hyaline, not inspersed; asci clavate, Teloschistes-type; ascospores 8/ascus, polaribilocular, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, (7.0–)8.8–13.3(–16.3) × (3.5–)4.8–7.8(–9.8) μm, with a thick, (2.0–)3.0–6.1(– 8.9) μm wide septum (n = 42). Pycnidia not observed.

Chemistry. Thallus and thalline margin P–, K–, C–, KC–, UV– (dull); apothecial disc and proper margin P–, K+ purple, C–, KC+ purplish (fading), UV– (dull); no secondary metabolites detected in the thallus, apothecia with 7-chloroemodin and fragilin.

Ecology and distribution. According to Wetmore (2004), known from Mexico through Central America (Caribbean) into South America (Brazil). In Galapagos, the species is currently known only from the humid zone along the crater rim of Volcán Alcedo, where it appears to be a relict species surviving on few, isolated Zanthoxylum fagara and Scalesia microcephala trees. Both these substrates are remnants of vegetation now recovering from excessive grazing by goats that were only recently eradicated.

Notes. Based on its ITS, L. aphanotripta belongs to the epiphora-clade together with L. galapagoensis and L. epiphora. Specimens lacking apothecia may be confused with some species of Phyllopsora, which, however, form squamules developing from a strongly blackened, not whitish to pale bluish green hypothallus.