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Scarlet Caterpillarclub

Cordyceps militaris

Photo by AlexKonig
Published on Project Noah
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51.4437, 5.61596

Field Notes

Description:

Cordyceps militaris (L. ex St. Amans) Link. Scarlet Caterpillar Club. Fruit body up to 7cm high, cylindrical or club-shaped; bright orange-red; the slightly swollen fertile head has a finely roughened surface and tapers into a smooth, paler, wavy stem. Asci very long, about 4µ wide. Spores threadlike, breaking into barrel-shaped part-spores, 3.5-6 x 1-1.5µ. Habitat singly or numerously on larvae and pupae of butterflies and moths. Quite common. Found throughout North America and Europe. Season September-November. Not edible

Habitat:

location: North America, Europe
edibility: Inedible
fungus colour: Orange
normal size: Less than 5cm
cap type: Other
stem type: Lateral, rudimentary or absent
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows on dead insects
( http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5866.asp )

Notes:

it s the first time that i saw him in real, even in the book were i always gone by. Was a little highlight for me today, sadly i notices/identified him home through the pictures, had i known it was ths one, i would have excravate the caterpillar (this first time, after making sure the "fungus" can spread). on the 2 close-ups can you see the wart-like surface.

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Comments (2)

thanks, i thought so myself. happend in the lunchbreak, and sadly i will not come back there, for the next time !!

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Photographed
PublishedNovember 15, 2011

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