This species has been described occurring on wood in high Andean forest ecosystems. Although it is not known to be host-specific, it is likely restricted to this type of habitat, which has undergone significant reduction and fragmentation due to anthropogenic pressures. The species is known from a single locality, and therefore its area of occupancy is inferred to be very small (< 10 km²), meeting the threshold for Critically Endangered. We recommend further research to confirm its distribution range and ecological requirements. Therefore, this species is precautionarily assessed as Critically Endangered under criterion B2ab(iii).

Athelopsis curvispora Hjortstam & Ryvarden, Syn. Fung.
Atheliaceae
Atheliales
Agaricomycetes
Agaricomycotina
Basidiomycota
Fungi

The species is characterized by having thin, slightly adnate basidiomata, with a grayish-white coloration. Microscopically, it presents a monomitic hyphal system composed of hyaline, smooth, thin-walled hyphae, 2–2.5(–3) μm wide, with clamp connections at all septa and sparsely branched.
Cystidia are absent. The basidia are subpedunculate, measuring 18–20 × 4.5–5 μm, typically with four sterigmata and a basal clamp connection; young basidia may occasionally be pleural and bear two to four sterigmata. The basidiospores measure 6.5–7.5 × 2.5(–2.75) μm, are curved, smooth, and thin-walled (Hjortstam & Ryvarden, 2010).

Athelopsis curvispora is a rare corticioid fungal species, known only from its type specimen collected in 1978 in the Colombian Andes, in the department of Cundinamarca. Since its original description, no additional records have been reported, which significantly limits knowledge of its distribution, population size, and conservation status.
The species grows on wood in high Andean forest ecosystems, which have been strongly affected by anthropogenic activities. Its possible restriction to this type of habitat, together with the ongoing transformation of these ecosystems, suggests that it may be at risk. In this context, it is essential to assess the species within the IUCN Red List in order to promote further research and conservation actions that may help clarify its current status.

Athelopsis curvispora is known in Colombia from the department of Cundinamarca, where it has been recorded at kilometer 16 along the Mosquera–La Mesa road, at an elevation of 2700 m a.s.l. The specimen was collected on March 3, 1978, on wood in a deciduous forest ecosystem (Hjortstam & Ryvarden, 2010).

The current status of the populations of Athelopsis curvispora is unknown. The species is known only from its type specimen collected in 1978, and no additional records exist that would allow inference of population size, structure, or trends over time.
However, a potential decline in its populations can be inferred due to the transformation and fragmentation of high Andean ecosystems in the region where it was originally recorded.

Fungi of the genus Athelopsis are primarily saprotrophic, growing mainly on dead wood and colonizing woody debris, thereby playing an essential role in forest ecosystem dynamics. This species has been found fruiting on wood in deciduous forests and could potentially occur in other areas of the Colombian Andes between 2,500 and 3,000 m a.s.l., corresponding to high Andean forest ecosystems.

The main threat to A. curvispora lies in the transformation and degradation of its natural habitat, driven by processes such as deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urban growth in the Colombian Andes, particularly in the department of Cundinamarca. These activities have led to a considerable reduction in high Andean forests. Additionally, its apparent restriction to a single known locality increases its vulnerability to any environmental disturbance within its distribution range.

No specific conservation actions are known for Athelopsis curvispora. However, given its apparently restricted distribution and the lack of information on its ecology and population status, it is a priority to implement research and conservation strategies focused on its habitat, such as monitoring the conservation status of high Andean forests where it may occur, and promoting the protection and restoration of these ecosystems.

This species is not known to be used or traded.