Body Snatcher

 

{yoogallery src=[/images/stories/blog/bodysnatcher]}

All images unless otherwise stated © Jeff Clarke 2010

Earlier today I joined a select group of folk on an Fungal forage at Runcorn Hill LNR. The event was organised through the Artery of Life project under the sterling leadership of Anthony Brandreth. Anthony had recruited the services of the charismatic Fungal Punk Dave to guide us through the labyrinthine world of the mycologist. In the past I've led a number of these types of event, though I've never claimed any degree of real knowledge. A fact highlighted today by discovering that most of the scientific names I'd previously learned are now defunct and worse, what was once a single species has now been divided into four, or more, species. This happened not once but several times. The instability of taxonomy can often leave you slack jawed and glassy eyed at the confundity of it all. Or perhaps that's just my normal demeanor.

We spent the first twenty minutes of the walk under a single Common Beech tree finding a number of interesting specimens though the Parrot Waxcaps and the Deceiver were the only species I could get beyond family level. We then headed towards the woods, passing the previously featured Common Earthstars en route. Around most birch trees, that archetypal mushroom the Fly Agaric could be found in abundance. I never tire of encountering these brazen show-offs, their inseparable relationship with Birch trees makes them a sure fire bet on most autumn fungal hunts.

Dave's wicked sense of humour and easy going approach enriched an already fascinating walk. I love learning new things and seeing nature at it's weird best. We explored an area of burnt gorse to search for and successfully find, an insignificant looking little fungus which only grows on burnt gorse, it goes by the eye-watering name of Cramp Balls. Goodness knows how long its spores need to hang around waiting for some juvenile pyromaniac to pass its way. Though thinking about it Runcorn Hill is probably a hotbed of such activity.

Half way round the walk Dave indicated he had discovered something a little bit out of the ordinary. Nestled in the grassy slope there appeared to be an out of season crocus preparing to burst into flower, but the bulb that this thing grew from was animal not vegetable, This fruiting fungal body concealed a dark secret under the turf. The mummified form of a caterpillar provided the nutrition required to propagate this body snatcher par excellence the Scarlet Caterpillar Fungus. A wandering caterpillar brushes against the spore laden vegetation. From that moment it is a 'dead caterpillar walking'. In time its corpse is consumed by the fungus and the tell tale apprearance of the fruiting bodies marks its grave. it's like something from a science fiction movie, the truth is that science fact can be even more extraordinary!

I recommend a walk with Fungal Punk Dave, you learn a lot and laugh even more! To see the full species list on Dave's webpages click here.