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News & Stories / Take a Closer Look at your Black Trumpets Phil Carpenter brought me a bag of Craterellus calicornucopioides the other day. He’s a really nice, thoughful guy, isn’t he? Deb • March 1, 2010 Craterellus calicornucopioides. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) But that’s not all. He placed a lovely little bouquet of Craterellus atrocinereus on top. They’re similar, but not identical. The C. atrocinereus have a veiny underside, like our Golden Chanterelles, whereas the C. calicornucopioides have a smoother hymenium. Check it out in these pictures and keep an eye open for them in the woods. I’ve found them occasionally in the past, and they always get lost in my basket with the dominant species. My comparison: they taste basically the same, but the C. atrocinereus have a slightly softer and more luscious texture. See what you think. Bon appétit! Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / 2023 Outdoor and Virtual Fungus Fair Once more we will not be doing our normal fair at the London Nelson Community Center. Instead we will do a series of local forays with culinary events, Zoom talks, and an iNaturalist project during January 2023, similar to the event we held in 2022. All of these events will be open to FFSC club members and the general public. Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Committee • December 19, 2022 Outdoor Fair Local Forays - Sold out We will offer a series of guided local forays on the weekends of January 7,8 and 14,15. These forays will be led by local mycologists and will have the goal of identifying and learning about our local fungi in their natural habitat. After each foray, our culinary committee volunteers will prepare a tailgate style tasting of incredible mushroom dishes while we discuss the days finds. We will try to keep the group sizes small in order to allow a more personal interaction with our leaders and for covid safety. These will be outdoor events, so be prepared for wet and cold weather and some walking to see our mushroom habitat. The price to attend the walks will be $10 for adults, $5 for full time students and free for children under 12. We are suggesting that participants make a $5 donation if they will be sharing in the treats prepared by our culinary artists. Xerocomellus atropurpureus Mushroom Lecture Series During the week between the forays, Monday-Friday, January 9-13, we will be offering a series of discussions/talks on Zoom featuring talented mycologists covering a range of topics. This is an opportunity to hear about the exiting work of some great amateur and professional mycologists.The talks will also be live streamed to our Youtube channel for anyone unable to attend the Zoom. Tropical Mushroom Collage. Photo by Lauren Re iNaturalist Project During the forays citizen scientists will be encouraged to document what they see on iNaturalist. Observations will automatically be added to the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair – 2023 Mycoblitz Project on iNaturalist. In addition, th e general public are encouraged to record their own fungal observations in the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounding area from January 1-15, 2023 for inclusion in the Mycoblitz. Visit the project page for more information. We hope that this modified format will provide an interesting, educational, fun, and safe event for the whole family, and that next year we can bring back the traditional fair, bigger and better than ever. 2023 Fungus Fair iNaturalist Mycoblitz Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts 40th Fungus Fair: Time lapse of the Island setup A Short History of the Fungus Fair Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Writings Ending, Beginning Anew Perusing past issues of Duff provides a great retrospective on mushrooming on the Central Coast since the founding of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz in 1984. We've moved most of the articles to this website, and will no longer publish the PDF. Deb • May 1, 2013 Bob Sellers (from the final issue of Duff, May 2013) During the past 29 years some of the most noted mycologists in the world have addressed our group. We’ve collected oodles of mushrooms on local, long distance and ad hoc forays, dined royally, held fungal fashion shows, tailgate tastings and culinary forays. Excerpts from the first issue of Duff ’s precursor, the Federation Flyer , are included below for the whole alpha-omega experience. I think Bob Sellers would be happy to know he will always make us laugh! Our lectures, classes and workshops have provided tools for better understanding and helped us stay abreast of changes in nomenclature and molecular sequencing technology. FFSC has sponsored countless Fungus Fairs — next year will be the 40th! And we have all enjoyed ourselves immensely and made some very good friends in the bargain. Sincere thanks to the editors of Duff over its 29 year history: Bob Sellers, Greg Ferguson, Bridget Binko, Ford Johnson, Flick Christensen, Larry Payne, Madeline Wycke, Roxane Kitely, Wendy Wells and Debbie Johnson. We are also grateful to all of you who contributed articles, questions, photos and ideas over the years. Your generosity has enriched both the newsletter and our club. We look forward to enjoying your pictures and prose on the new website, which will launch in the fall at ffsc.us ! You’ll receive email notification when everything is up and running. Please send tales and photos of your morel hunts and summer mushrooming adventures to our Google Group! Wishing you fruitful forays, Debbie Johnson Minister of Propaganda Duff's predecessor, The Federation Flyer : Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Demise of the Duff Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Black Trumpets and Soy Sausage on Crispy Angel Hair Pasta A birds-nest disk of noodles, layered with savory sausage and mushrooms. by Bo Letos Craterellus calicornucopioides. © caitlin_f (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 335164379) Method Prep Heat ¼ cup of the cream and ¼ cup water in a small pan until steaming slightly. Submerge the dried Craterellus in the cream bath and let them soak until completely soft (15 to 20 minutes). In the meantime, chop the leeks and basil, and start cooking the pasta (below). When the mushrooms are rehydreated, extract and clean any unwanted debris from the reconsituted mushrooms, and chop. Strain the soaking liquid using a paper towel or paper coffee filter and reserve the liquid, discarding any unwanted debris. Prepare the Pasta Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain. Beat or whisk the eggs and the other ¼ cup of cream together, and the basil. Add the drained pasta and blend well so all strands are coated. Cook the Topping Heat 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium heat, add soy sausage and fry until browned and crisp (about 3 minutes). Remove sausage from pan and set aside to stay crunchy. Add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and sauté until tender (about 5 minutes). Add the leeks, and saute for another 3 - 4 minutes. Pour in the reserved (strained) creamy soaking liquid, the sugar, soy sauce, five-spice powder and salt to taste. Blend well, making sure the liquid coats all the mushrooms. Turn the heat to low while you create the pasta pancakes (nests). Create Pasta Pancakes Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a large cast iron skillet and heat until a drop of water "dances" on the surface (about medium-high.) With a pair of tongs, pull out about ¼ of the pasta/egg mixture and place in the middle of the skillet, flattening it out to look like a pancake. Fry each side until golden brown (about 45 seconds).* Repeat with the rest of the other three portions of the pasta, creating equal discs. While the "pancakes" are frying, stir the cornstarch-water slurry into the simmering mushroom and leeks pan. Stir constantly until thickened to glossy glaze. The mixture should not be runny. Stir in the crispy soy sausage. Place a crispy noodle pancake in the middle of each serving plate, and ladel the mushroom and sausage mix over the top. serve immediately. * To avoid breaking the pancake, make sure the bottom edges are golden brown to ensure there's no liquid egg left. Right before the flip, give the skillet a gentle shake. If the pancake slides around freely as a single unit, it's ready to turn. If it sticks, run a spatula around underneath to fully free it first. Then place the spatula under the pancake, and hold a spoon or tongs on the top to clamp it in place, flip it, and gently lay the other side down. Recipe contributed: March 1999 This recipe was inspired by one of my very favorite cookbooks, Jack Czarnecki's wonderful A Cook's Book of Mushrooms . The recipes, with a few personal vegetarian alterations thrown in, have produced some of the finest meals I've ever had. (The only caveat is that in order to produce such exquisite meals, I seem to end up using almost every pot in the kitchen!) One of the tricks I've learned from the book is that Mr. Czarnecki uses three ingrediants in almost every one of his recipes: sugar, soy sauce, and salt. Since I started doing the same in my fungal feasts, my meals have improved immensely. In my house, we use a 4 star rating system to judge each recipe. Below is one of our own 4⭑ concoctions. Objective: Main course Total Time: 30-45 minutes Yield: 4 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Black trumpet / black chanterelle (Craterellus atrocinereus, Craterellus calicornucopioides, Craterellus cinereus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients 8 oz. angel hair pasta 2 eggs ½ cup half-and-half ½ cup fresh basil, finely chopped Sea salt Olive Oil 2 med. leeks, sliced into 1" pieces (cut on the bias) ½ cup soy sausage, crumbled 1 cup dried Craterellus calicornucopioides 1 tsp. fructose 1 Tbsp. soy sauce 2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed in ½ cup cold water Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Seafood Stuffed Shrimp Russula Caps Young shrimp russulas have a mild, nutty taste, and work well with seafood dishes. by Gregg Ferguson Russula xerampelina. © Natalynn Browning (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 35720366) Method Soften cream cheese by leaving it on the counter until it reaches room temperature (30 to 45 minutes). In the meantime, pat shrimp dry with paper towels, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté shrimp in a skillet with 1 tsp. of oil or butter over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes per side, just until opaque and pink. Remove shrimp from skillet immediately and set aside to cool to room temperature. Blanch the scallops: Bring a small pot of salted water to a gentle boil. Drop in scallops and cook for 45 to 60 seconds until they turn opaque and firm up slightly. Immediately transfer scallops to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process, then drain well. Preheat oven to 400°F Gently clean shrimp russula caps, and remove the stems. (Save stems to use in other dishes) Arrange caps on baking pan. Finely chop the cooled shrimp, scallops, and crab meat. Squeeze out the excess moisture and discard. Place seafood in a bowl and add the softened cream cheese, eggs, and seasonings. Mix well. Stuff caps with the seafood/dairy mixture. Melt butter in microwave or small saucepan, and drizzle over each cap. Sprinkle each cap with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400°F for until mushrooms are tender and hot, and cheese is browned (12 to 15 minutes). Recipe contributed: October 1986 Objective: Appetizer Total Time: 1 to 1 ¼ hours Yield: 6 to 8 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Shrimp russula (Russula xerampelina) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients ½ lb. peeled and deveined shrimp ¼ lb. scallops 2 oz. cooked crab meat 3 oz. cream cheese 2 to 3 Tbsp. butter ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more, to taste) 1 egg ¼ tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp. dry mustard Pinch white pepper ¼ tsp. salt 20-30 small shrimp russulas Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

Become a Fair Volunteer We need volunteers to set up and run the 2026 Fungus Fair. Honestly, we can't do it without you! What Do Volunteers Do? Ready to sign up? Here's how . During the Fair (Jan 9-11) Help with ticket sales and voucher redemption Check hand stamps Set up and/or take down tables and chairs for the After Hours Dinner Help at the FFSC membership table The central island ready to receive the fungi from volunteers. Photo by Katherine Elvin Before the Fair Collect wild mushrooms for the exhibits (January 6-7) Help arrange the mushroom exhibits (January 7-9) Load and unload tables, chairs, equipment, etc. for the Fungi Forest, talks, and craft areas (January 6-9) Help to plan the Fair (June - December) At the End of (and After) the Fair Take down all the exhibits (January 11) Fold and store all the tables and chairs (January 11) Celebrate a job well done at the Volunteer Dinner! (TBA) Ready to sign up? How to Become a Fair Volunteer 301 Center St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA Anyone can help! You do not need to be a member of FFSC to volunteer. To be eligible for a FREE General Admission ticket to the Fungus Fair, you must pre-register as a volunteer, and work for at least one volunteer position (usually for a few hours, depending on the role). If there is an area or task you particularly enjoy, it's a good idea to sign up early to nail it down now. To volunteer during the Fair (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), please visit: https://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/fungusfair_2026 To volunteer for set up before the Fair, or take down at the end of the Fair, please visit: https://ffsc.ivolunteer.com/setup_2026

Oyster Mushroom Bruschetta Bruschetta is always popular at our FFSC potlucks, and this recipe would be no exception! by Deb Pleurotus ostreatus. © Felicia Gershberg (CC-BY-NC) (from inaturalist.org, obs. 326553944) Method Slice the bread 1" thick. Grill or broil the bread on each side until lightly browned. Rub each slice with crushed garlic, and brush with olive oil and salt to taste. Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, cooking until they give up moisture. Add herbs and continue cooking until mushrooms are nicely browned. Top bread with one or two thin tomato slices. Add hot cooked mushrooms, and serve warm. Recipe contributed: November 1996 I had a particularly enjoyable September, which involved at various times mudbaths, hot mineral soaks, massage, wine, food, and, of course, mushrooms. You know, the usual FFSC stuff! Between a trip to the wine country with my big sisters and the Echo Summit Foray, it was a great month. The progressive Saturday potluck at Echo was the usual fabulous decadence; hedonism followed in the spa and casinos! The following recipe is my approximation of a great appetizer I had at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. The CIA is in the old Christian Brothers winery, offering tours, kitchen viewing and a great restaurant for lunch or dinner. Objective: Appetizer Total Time: 20 to 30 mins Yield: 6 servings Suggested Mushrooms: Oyster / king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus) Join FFSC or renew your membership to access the rest of this content. Join FFSC Login as an FFSC member to access the rest of this content. Login Ingredients Bruschetta 6 slices good bread (chewy, porous textured with a good crust) 2 or 2 cloves garlic Good olive oil Salt, preferably kosher or sea salt Mushrooms A nice pile of fresh oyster mushrooms, sliced if large 1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced Olive oil Fresh rosemary or fresh thyme (or use both or other herbs of choice) Salt & pepper to taste Previous Recipe All Recipes Next Recipe

News & Stories / In Memory of Herb Saylor The mushroom community in the San Francisco Bay Area is feeling the heavy loss of one of the GIANTS in the local mycology scene. Herb Saylor died at work from a heart attack in May. Larry Stickney • May 25, 2000 Ramaria stricta. © Lila (CC-BY-NC) (inaturalist.org, obs. 339502924) He influenced so many amateurs and even spurred many to get a college degree. This includes Dr. Dennis Desjardin and several other Ph.D's in mycology. He spent his spare money buying taxonomy books for the graduate students at SFSU and twice served as President of the MSSF. He was constantly teaching about mushroom taxonomy and microscopy, leading forays and talking about the fungi to anyone who would listen. He was an expert on the corals and hypogeous fungi, but well rounded in all areas and one of the most knowledgeable amateurs in North America. Herb was loved and respected by all and he will be sadly missed. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Yikes! Theres a Fly in My Mushroom! There’s more than just a little extra protein in there! Take a few minutes to get a real inside look at the diligent workers who put the “mush” in mushroom (along with some edibility tips). Hannah Nadel • May 1, 2007 Leccinum manzanitae. © Alan Rockefeller (from mushroomobserver.org) Hannah Nadel (from researchgate.net) Hannah Nadel is a research entomologist, currently with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Parlier, CA. She learned mushroom ID through the Los Angeles Mycological Society in the early 1980s while a graduate student at UC Riverside. While in Victoria, BC, Hannah helped found the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. A tenderhearted soul, she felt bad about all the maggotty mushrooms being chucked out along the trailsides and decided to rear the larvae to the adult stage to identify what species prefer to breed in particular mushrooms. This led to maggoty piles deposited mysteriously on her doorstep after dark and to maggotty mushroom soup in jacket pockets many days after a stroll in the woods. --Debbie Johnson Editors' Note: This article was reprinted with permission from the August 1994 issue of Fungifama , the newsletter of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. The original article is still available as a PDF online, but we are reproducing it here in case that changes in the future. (We also added a few photos to this version.) On a recent plant and insect collecting trip to the southern interior of British Colombia I noticed an interesting human behavior. Oluna Ceska, who seems sane enough, was patting Leccinum mushrooms. After beaming with delight as she spotted each of the rather sporadic Leccinums along the footpath through the woods, Oluna’s expression would change to one of hopeful apprehension as she stooped and patted the brownish cap. She then either picked the mushroom with a triumphant cry, or muttered sounds of disappointment and moved quickly on, her eyes sweeping the ground for further possibilities. Efficient Foragers When animals forage for food, they try to be as efficient as possible. Time is limited and they have much to do. They must find food, eat, wash, sleep, find mates, build nests, and produce and rear offspring within a limited lifetime. Spending too much time on one necessary activity may result in too little time spent on another, and the animal or its offspring could suffer. Clearly, the animal which spends the least amount of time deciding whether something is edible will have more time to spend looking for more food, and will, presumably, end up finding and eating more than a similar animal that spends a lot of time examining a potential tidbit to decide whether it is edible or not. Leccinum scabrum . © Ron Pastorino (from mykoweb.com) What Oluna was doing, I discovered, was minimizing the amount of time she spent deciding whether an edible mushroom was fit for the table or too riddled with worms to bother with (I’m assuming the technique works with mushrooms other than Leccinum ). Rather than pick the mushroom, cut it open, and examine its flesh, she learned that a mushroom that feels firm to the touch is relatively worm-free, and that those that feel spongey or punky are riddled with worm burrows. She can test this with one or two quick pats. As well, Oluna had already reduced the amount of time she has to spend per trip deciding if a mushroom is edible, because she has learned to identify many edible species by sight and doesn’t pat the bad-tasting or poisonous ones. But this story was not meant to be about time management in the life of a mushroom eater. Rather, it was meant to touch on the all-too-familiar “worms” that can turn a mushroom-eater’s delight to dolor, and a mushroom to, well, mush. Too often I get asked about what’s tunneling in a favorite edible, so I’ll give a brief account of what you might find in British Colombia. Are they really worms? First of all, like many things that are not what they seem to be, the worm-like creatures burrowing through your mushroom are not worms. They are insects. More specifically, they are the young of flies or, sometimes, beetles. Insects start their lives as eggs that hatch into larvae, and some, such as flies and beetles, undergo a resting stage, or pupa, before turning into winged adults (others change from larvae directly to adults). All growth occurs during the larval stage, and it’s therefore no surprise that this stage is the most voracious. These eating machines enlarge and fatten, and periodically shed their skin as they outgrow it, finally moulting into a resting pupal stage during which they metamorphose into winged adults. After escaping from the pupal skin, the adults may or may not feed, depending on the species, and they do not shed their skin again. They don’t grow, although the females may expand tremendously while carrying eggs. Fungus gnat larvae on potato slice, from Colorado State University website. In B.C., the most common fly larvae, or maggots, that you’ll find feeding in mushrooms belong to the fungus gnat family, the Mycetophilidae (pronounced my-see-toe-fill-id-ee, from the Greek words for fungus — mykes , and lover — philea ). They are not too hard to distinguish from other maggots in mushrooms because they have very dark heads and strong constrictions along their pale bodies. Like many other maggots, they are soft and thin-skinned, which makes them vulnerable to drying. Living inside a moist mushroom, or, in other cases, in rotting vegetation, protects them from drying and provides them with plenty of fungal tissue to feast on. The eggs are laid directly on the mushroom, usually on the underside in the spaces between the gills or in the pores (depending on what the mushroom has), and within a day or two the tiny, hatchlings begin feeding on these structures. At this stage the mushroom is still perfectly edible and the cap is firm. Bill McGuire found these boletes on the Spring Foray last year and is trying to contain his exuberance. Maybe he should have patted them first? Photo by Vernetta McGuire As they grow, the legless larvae burrow into the flesh of the stem and cap and literally eat themselves out of house and home. The burrows fill with digestive wastes and can be invaded by bacteria and other fungi; they generally appear rather brown or yellowish, and shouldn’t be eaten. If you find a mushroom with burrows in the stem only, it is quite safe to simply discard the stem and cook up the cap. By my standards, a few tunnels in the cap won’t hurt you either, but my gag threshold is perhaps higher than yours. When ready to pupate, after a week or so, fungus gnat larvae usually leave the rubble of the mushroom and pupate in the soil below it. After a few more days the dark, mosquito-like adults emerge, mate, and the females smell their way to a new mushroom on which to lay eggs. They usually prefer young mushrooms, perhaps because these will last longer and also probably because they’re racing against other fungus gnats (and/or other insects) to provide their own offspring with the advantage of being the first on a limited island of food. Miscellaneous Maggots Other maggots you might encounter in a mushroom are the smoother-bodied and pale-headed relatives of the small flies that visit your fruit bowl at home and feature in your genetics class at school. This family of fly is the Drosophilidae (pronounced dro-soh-fill-id-ee, from the Greek words for dew or sap — drosos , and lover — phileo ), also known as pomace flies or even as fruit flies, although they mustn’t be confused with the true fruit flies (family Tephritidae ). Larvae of pomace flies feed on fungi in rotting vegetation, fruit, sap flows on trees, or directly in mushrooms. Their life cycles resemble those of fungus gnats, so I won’t dwell on them further. The adults are quite different from the fungus gnats, being shaped more like a common housefly, but much smaller and usually colored a shiny honey-brown. Those of you who have studied genetics in school will remember the famous “fruit fly”, Drosophila melanogaster , the laboratory rat of the insect world, whose giant salivary-gland chromosomes and rapid reproduction have made it the darling of geneticists. The larvae of this species feed on fungi in rotting fruits. The adults carry fungi or spores on their feet to inoculate ripe, newly-bruised fruit on which they will lay their eggs. Sciara hemerobioides larva. © James Lindsay (from wikipedia.org) Many other families of flies feed at least partly on fungi, some on mushrooms, but most often on fungi that cause decay in plant material or dung. The dark-winged fungus gnats, family Sciaridae (sce-ar-i-dee), from the Greek skieros -shady, because they like shade), are often reported as pests in commercial mushroom houses. They also feed on fungi in decaying plant material such as rotting moss, which is why you might see hordes of them around your overwatered potted plants at home and in greenhouses. They are also rather mosquito-like, delicate and often minute, with dark gray wings. Be sure to count the legs on your maggot, it may really be a baby beetle Like flies, many families of beetles also feed on fungi. Some of them are very beautiful, as is reflected in names like "handsome fungus beetles" and "pleasing fungus beetles." Some feed on mushrooms, but many can handle the tougher woody bracket fungi and other polypores. Unlike flies, the adults often feed on the same stuff as their larvae, and these two stages can be found together in one mushroom. Adult beetles are generally hard-bodied, with a pair of hard outer wings that fit closely over the back like a shell (the soft, transparent flight wings are folded under these protective wings and are not usually visible). The larvae are often wormlike, but, unlike maggots, they have three pairs of legs on the underside just behind the head, and the head is hard, usually brown, and armed with visible teeth (use your magnifying glass!). The pupa may be in the fungus or outside, depending on the beetle species. The life cycle of beetles is generally much longer than that of flies, but some can develop from egg to pupa during the short life of a soft mushroom. Erotylidae sp. (pleasing fungus beetle) larva. Copyright Katja Schulz (from wikipedia.org) In British Colombia you might, through diligent search, find beetles of at least ten families in soft mushrooms and in the harder brackets or other fruiting bodies. Many are rare. The showiest are the handsome fungus beetles (family Endomychidae , pronounced en-doe-my-kid-ee, from the Greek endon - within, and mychos -innermost recess; the meaning escapes me), and the pleasing fungus beetles (family Erotylidae , pronounced air-o-till-id-ee, for which I can’t find any word origins that make any sense at all!). These striking beetles are shiny, and patterned black with a mix of red, orange, and/or yellow. The handsome fungus beetles are usually smaller but can reach 1 cm. in length, about half the size of pleasing fungus beetles. If your mushroom has a drab beetle up to 1⁄2 cm in length, with spiny-looking margins on its “neck”, it’s probably a tooth-necked fungus beetle (family Derodontidae , pronounced dare-oh-don-tid-ee, from the Greek deros -skin, and odontos - tooth). A long, slender, flexible beetle with short outer wings would be a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae , pronounced staff-ill-in-id-ee, from the Greek staphylinos - an insect), usually found among the gills rather than in the flesh of the mushroom. Other families include an array of small, drab beetles fondly known as LBJs(Little Brown Jobs, just like the LBJs we love to ignore in the mushroom world). Some tooth-necked fungus beetles and round fungus beetles (which can curl into a ball) feed on slime molds. There’s no accounting for taste. Wasps - the Calculating Females Now we know more or less who in the insect world is eating our mushrooms. But it’s not enough that our delicacies are full of flies and beetles, they have a variety of minute wasps, too! A parasitic wasp - Spalangia sp . © Alan Manson (from wikipedia.org) These, however, are not joining the feast; rather, they are parasitizing and killing the fungus eaters. They are the good gals, the natural controlling agents that help keep the world from turning into one huge, wriggling, buzzing mass of insects. These tiny wasps, usually 1-4 mm long, do not sting and have no interest at all in humans. We, however, should he kissing the ground under each of their six little feet! Wasps that parasitize mushroom eaters usually find mushrooms by smell, after which they search for eggs, larvae, or pupae of flies or beetles either by feel, vibrations, or again by smell. The females have a long, hollow, threadlike structure on their rear end through which eggs are laid on the victim (host) or inside it. The eggs hatch and the wasp larvae feed on the host insect, eventually killing it. The wasp larvae then pupate before turning into delicate, wasp-waisted adults. You might find the wasps as unsavory as the other insects in your mushroom, but remember that by killing many of the flies and beetles, the wasps prevent them from multiplying without check and infesting every single fungus on Earth. Also, they don’t harm uninfested fungi. There are several families of parasitic wasps saving our mushrooms, and millions of species that parasitize and kill insects in our homes, gardens, fields, forests, and water. Soon, when the rain comes back, it will be time to go out and pat the mushrooms. But just remember that while most of you are leaving punky mushrooms alone, at least one deranged individual will be maximizing the number of interesting fungus-caring insects she collects by following you and picking precisely those mushrooms which you’ve patted and left behind. There’s no accounting for taste, is there? Hannah Nadel Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Vellany Pierce Vellany Pierce is the Prime Minister of the Fungus Federation of Santa Cruz. She grew up in Santa Cruz County and, always having had an interest in fungi, is a self taught mushroom cultivator who currently works at Far West Fungi , propagating mushroom spawn from cultures grown in petri dishes. She serves the Fungus Federation as minister of digital media, helps lead local forays, and has taught cultivation classes with the Fungus Federation for many years. 2026 Vellany Pierce 2026 Santa Cruz Fungus Fair Talks Buy Tickets Getting Started with Cultivation Saturday, January 10, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Room 1 An Introduction to Mushroom Cultivation Saturday, January 11, 2025 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Room 1

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Bioluminescent Mushrooms from Spirits of the Forest Bioluminescent mushrooms and classical music from Taylor F. Lockwood. Yevgeny Nyden • November 22, 2013 Cover of Spirits of the Forest DVD (from mushroom.pro). Copyright 2016 Taylor F. Lockwood Enjoy this beautiful video of bioluminescent mushrooms accompanied by classical music, from Taylor Lockwood's "Spirits of the Forest" DVD. Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Cam Cam by Taylor Lockwood Mycology & Art News Taylor Lockwood's National Geographic Magazine Debut Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Mushrooms have sparked all sorts of creative works, leading to some fantastic art depicting mushrooms, and in some cases using mushrooms as part of the craft. Artists love to play around with the cool shapes, colors, and textures that mushrooms offer. Mushroom Photography Lentinus (Polyporus) arcularius. Photo by Cathy Welch Mushrooms are fun to photograph, due to their intricate details and variety of forms. They can also be challenging to capture when they grow in dark and/or hard-to-reach places--especially when your photography setup is minimal (to make room for carrying your collecting gear!). Photographers love to capture mushrooms from different points of view: Fruiting in habitat: Beauty shots, specimen studies, and quick snaps of mushrooms in forests, fields, and lawns show them off in their natural habitat. Browse our Mushroom Photo Gallery for some examples. Macro and microscopic photos: Close-ups that highlight the tiny details of mushroom caps, textures, spores and structures. We occasionally post examples on this website, such as in our free FFSC Online Learning programs, and you can browse the Web for thousands more! Life cycle changes: Some people document how mushrooms change through their life cycles, and/or how patches change across seasons. Check out this Time Lapsed Laetiporous article in our News section for an example. If you have an interesting life cycle series to share with us, let us know! Mushroom-Themed Art and Crafts If you're looking at this website, you might already have a few of these in your closet or cupboard or on your walls! Crafts: Some of us depect our favorite mushrooms in pottery and tiles, glass, clothing and jewelry, gift cards and stickers, wall hangings and more. Paintings: Artists paint mushrooms, depicting them in the wild or reimagined in abstract ways. Sculptures: Some talented folks craft mushrooms in 3D, using clay, wood, glass, or metal. Illustration : Check out the beautiful mushroom-themed illustrations we've commissioned for our Santa Cruz Fungus Fairs in our Fungus Fair Posters archive. Explore the works of local artisans in the vendor areas of the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair for some examples. Mushroom-Based Pigments Besides looking cool in artwork, mushrooms are also a wonderful source of natural pigments for creating art. Eco-Friendly Dyes: Mushroom dyes are a green alternative to synthetic ones, perfect for eco-conscious creators. Unique Color Palettes: Different kinds of mushrooms create a range of colors, from earthy browns to bright reds and yellows. Textile Techniques: Artists use various dyeing methods, like immersion or tie-dyeing, to create unique patterns and effects on fabrics. Browse our Arts menu for links to more information and some tips on how to get started with with mushroom dyes. Or visit the Craft Room at our annual Santa Cruz Fungus Fair and volunteers will show you how! (Or, if you already have experience with this art form, you can become a Fair volunteer and help others learn, too!) Craft room at the 47th FFSC Fungus Fair (2024). Photo by Hugh Smith Mushroom dyed silk at the 44th Fungus Fair. Photo by Hugh Smith (cropped) Myco Art Some people come for the food; some are driven by an interest in the science; and some come for the sheer beauty and/or bizarreness of certain mushrooms. If you're in the latter camp (or have toes in each), we have you covered!