Athelopsis colombiensis is known only from its type specimen collected in 1978 in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Since then, no additional records have been reported, and the available information on its distribution, population size, trends, and ecology is extremely limited.
Additionally, there is no clear information regarding its substrate specificity, as the only record corresponds to a single individual growing on a fern, which does not allow for determining whether strict ecological dependence exists.
Due to these uncertainties, it is not possible to adequately assess the species’ risk of extinction under the IUCN criteria. Therefore, Athelopsis colombiensis is classified as Data Deficient (DD), highlighting the need for further studies on its distribution, ecology, and population status.

Athelopsis colombiensis Hjortstam & Ryvarden, Mycotaxon.
Atheliaceae
Atheliales
Agaricomycetes
Agaricomycotina
Basidiomycota
Fungi

The specie is characterized by its resupinate, thin basidiomes with a smooth, whitish hymenophore. The hyphal system is monomitic, composed of basal hyphae that are thin to slightly thickened, straight, uniform, and clamped. It presents abundant hyaline cystidia, smooth, with slightly thickened walls at maturity, sinuous or subulate in shape, 25–30 × 4–6 μm. Basidia are cylindrical, with a slight median constriction, 10–12 × 5 μm, with four sterigmata and a basal clamp. Spores are ellipsoidal, hyaline, smooth, small (5 × 2.75 μm), inamyloid, indextrinoid, and acyanophilous (Hjortstam & Ryvarden, 2001).

Athelopsis colombiensis is a corticioid fungal species known only from its type specimen, which was observed growing on a fern and collected in 1978 in the cloud forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Since its original description, no additional records have been reported, which considerably limits knowledge of its distribution, population size, and conservation status.
Its occurrence in cloud forest ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to environmental changes and anthropogenic pressures suggests that it may be at risk. For these reasons, it is essential to evaluate this species within the IUCN Red List in order to promote further studies and conservation strategies that clarify its current status.

The species is known from one locality in Colombia, at the department of Magdalena, in the locality of the San Lorenzo Forest Reserve in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at an elevation of 1900 m a.s.l. (Hjortstam & Ryvarden, 2001).

Its distribution is only known from the cloud forests of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Only one mature specimen was reported in 1978.

Fungi of the genus Athelopsis are quintessential saprotrophs; they grow primarily on dead wood and colonize woody debris, playing an essential role in the dynamics of forest ecosystems. This species has been found fruiting on a fern in cloud forests. It is unknown whether this species can develop on other substrates, which suggests a possible ecological specialization.

The main threat to Athelopsis colombiensis is the loss and degradation of cloud forests. Although the type locality of the species is located within a protected area, these pressures continue to affect the integrity of the ecosystem. The apparent restriction of A. colombiensis to a single known locality increases its vulnerability to any environmental disturbance, which could negatively impact the persistence of its populations.

No conservation actions are known for the species. For the associated ecosystem, conservation and protection measures are implemented within the jurisdiction of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park, which is part of the National Parks System of Colombia.

There is no use/trade of this species.