Insect eating fungi

So you want even weirder fungi?

There is even a fungi order that is carnivorous (Cryptograms), yes they eat meat! They are parasitic fungi.

(I don't think these fungi have a tongue!)

A family of fungi called the Clavicipitaceae has members such as the "Ergots" that are parasites which means they live off insects grasses and other fungi. The fruiting body is club shape. "Earth Tongues" are club shaped too, but do not live off insects, both fungi are in the Ascomycete family. The fungus oozes out chemicals into the insect which changes the insects fluids to a more simple substance that the hypae (threads) can then absorb back into the fungus.

The Cordyceps which means 'having a club head' lives off a mummified caterpillar. Others may live off an underground moth pupa or larva. These fungi have an orange brown club shaped head and are no bigger than 2cm tall.

We don't think this is the Cordyceps fungus although it fits the description.

Fungi have been found in Denmark living off a caterpillar pupa and a spider.

Unfortunately due to copyright we can not show you a picture from a book of this fungus. But as soon as we find it ourselves you will see it here.

This fungus from the Ascomycota family is growing from the nymph of a cicada. Another fungus Anomorphici grows by feeding off a trapdoor spider.

Photograph by R. Kearny and E. Kearny.

These fungi were seen growing in a macropod skeleton, probably a Western Grey kangaroo. There were 21 fungi, 76cm apart. One measured 9cmw x 5.5cmh. They were seen at Jarradale, Peel in June and were growing in leaf litter on pea gravel.

So you see all is not what it seems even with fungi!

Text;

"A Field Guide To The Larger Fungi of the Darling Scarp and South West of Western Australia" by Kevin Griffiths.

http://www.denmarkwa.net.au/~environ/Fungi.html