News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Bedbugs Banished by Beauveria Bassiana Just when those creepy little bloodsuckers seemed to become resistant to all pest control options, in comes the mycological equivalent of Buffy the vampire slayer, Nina Jenkins and colleague Matthew Thomas. Cortinarius • May 12, 2014 Grasshoppers killed by B. bassiana (on wikimedia.org) In truth, the real heroine is an arthropod-killing fungus, Beauveria bassiana. Jenkins and her team are pursuing research and development on a new bio-pesticide utilizing powdered fungal spores of B. bassiana. Initial bioassays show promise. Invading bedbugs marching through the dust appear to be highly susceptible, going belly-up within 6 days. Although this is a novel approach to bed bug infestations, B. bassiana is already in use as a bio-pesticide for termites, thrips, whiteflies, aphids and some beetles. Nina Jenkins is working at Penn State in the Thomas Lab where her work centers on the development of bio-pesticides derived from fungi. Development includes strategies for mass production of fungal conidia, its enhancement and long term stability. For more, visit [a copy of] the original article: https://web.archive.org/web/20140926020643/http://www.huck.psu.edu/about/news-archive/thomas-bedbug-control/ Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Microscopy of Gilled Mushrooms Mycology & Art News Could a Stropharia Filter E. Coli Bacteria From Drinking Water? Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Support TEST - We're still moving the following info over to this new system: Past orders (such as tickets and memberships)--don't worry, if you registered for Albion in December, we still have your details! Past announcements about monthly speakers, culinary events, forays, etc. Past Fungus Fair announcements and speaker lists Past field reports Past news articles Past bio pages (e.g., MycoGeeks) If you can't find what you're looking for, try using the Search icon at the top of the page. If you still can't find what you're looking for, feel free to use the Contact Us form and ask where to find it. Where Did Things Go? In November 2025, we started moving this website to a new system. Here is a list of what is still being migrated.

Avoid the Forest After Dark. Photo by Dan Tischler Avoid the Forest After Dark Dan Tischler With Halloween just around the corner, be extra careful when you go into the forest at night. Camera Olympus TG-4 Focal L. 10mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/200s ISO 100 Flash Off Photo taken on January 19, 2022 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Candy Cap with Newt. Photo by Linda Maxwell Candy Cap with Newt Linda Maxwell Thanks for sharing this photo, Linda. We also loved your Newt-Free Candy Cap cookies at the January General Meeting! Camera Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Focal L. 5mm Aperture f/3.5 Shutter Sp. 1/300s ISO 640 Flash Off Photo taken on December 17, 2014 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Field Reports 2015 January Local Foray Wrap Up A group of about 30 FFSC foragers descended into the western Santa Cruz area yesterday morning, searching for shrooms... Cass Fuentes • January 26, 2015 Local Foray attendees. Photo by Cassandra Fuentes Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Field Report on January 2015 Local Foray Field Reports Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Mycology & Art News Stephen Axfords Macro Lens Photography This other-worldly view of fungi from New South Wales, Australia should not be missed. Cortinarius • May 20, 2014 These specimens look like oysters holding silver pearls. This image is hosted on www.dailymail.co.uk . © Stephen Axford/Hotspot Media Axford’s work is 12 years in the making, and worth a look. Much of his work allows us to see structure and detail otherwise invisible. The images are jaw dropping, crisp and colorful. Some are even glow-in-the-dark. For more, visit the website below. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2630349/Now-theyre-magic-mushrooms-Amazing-images-reveal-glow-dark-fungi-lighting-forests-alien-like-toadstools.html Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Forager's Feast Photo Album Mycology & Art News Mushroom Photo Exhibition Mycology & Art News Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Sparassis americana (American cauliflower mushroom), Pisgah, North Carolina. Photo by Judy and Bobb Lipp Sparassis americana in North Carolina Judy Lipp Roaming the East Coast in our RV. Pretty dry out here until we went into the Pisgah National Forest near the North Carolina Arboretum. It's practically a rain forest there. Must have seen over 50 species without looking hard and literally thousands of mushrooms. It was hard to ever be out of sight of at least 5 species at a time. Fun to see so many different species that are different or uncommon to the West Coast. Used the Audubon Guide on my iPhone and kept popping up familiar names on the photos such as Debbie Viess and Noah Siegel. Thanks guys! (David Rust helped with the ID.) Learn about this mushroom: Cauliflower Tales , NAMA Camera (Not provided) Focal L. Aperture Shutter Sp. ISO Flash Photo taken on August 15, 2016 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

News & Stories / Stewardship 2019 Elections. May 15 2019 Tired of politics? Here is your opportunity to engage in fairly non-controversial and rewarding issues on a very local level, without a grueling, eye-rolling 2 year campaign period! Sue Willis • March 19, 2019 You're the missing piece! (based on a photo by Katherine Elvin) The Fungus Federation is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We have all the trappings, including a set of bylaws and a Board of Directors, known as Ministers in Fungusfedspeak. Elections are held every two years at the last meeting of the season. This year's elections will be held at the Membership meeting on May 15th at the Harvey West Scout House. Below you'll find a list of the Board Members up for election. Please note that only the Prime Minister and Vice Prime Minister positions require having served previously as a board member. The other positions can be held by any FFSC member. This is a super opportunity to get involved in the operation of the Fungus Federation, direct and shape the club's activities, and get to know a great group of people. Again, THIS IS AN ELECTION! You can step up for any office, even if there is already a name listed. Several positions have provisional candidates who are open to either stepping aside for an enthusiastic new person. To get a sense of what is entailed in these positions, check out the Ministerial Duties in the bylaws , see if anything looks interesting, and chat up the relevant ministers. They'll be happy to talk about what they do so you can see if a particular job might be a good fit. Let Prime Minister Vellany Pierce know if you'd like to participate! Elected Positions: Prime Minister : Vellany Pierce Vice Prime Ministe r: Open - Richard Rammer will run but would welcome an actual race (or perhaps step aside for another candidate) Minister of Propaganda: Open - Kitty Elvin will continue but welcomes new volunteers contribute to this position. Minister of the Exchequer (Finance) : Margaret Carpenter Minister of Membership: Open Minister of Programs: Richard Lyness has volunteered to return to this position, but is open to stepping aside for a fresh contributor. Minister of Long Distance Forays: Open - Kitty Elvin will continue if necessary but would love to pass this essential and rewarding position on. Minister of Local Forays : Dan Tischler. Dan would like to form a Local Foray Committee to increase variety and frequence of local forays. Scribe: Andrea Wilson can continue or pass to an aspiring scribe. Super intro position, no knowledge of mushrooms necessary. Stores : Andrea Wilson Science Advisors: Henry Young, Christian Schwarz, Phil Carpenter Appointed Positions: These positions are not part of this year's elections process, but please let Vellany Pierce or a board member know if you have an interest in one of these! Sustenance : Bob Wynn Culinary : Bob Wynn continues in Culinary and would welcome a co-conspirator for planning and setup duties Video/Media : Vellany Pierce, welcomes members of potential media committee Website : Open Education : Jeanne Gonda Fair : Les Seltzer NAMA Representative: Phil Carpenter Minister at Large : Open . The updated elected ministers are found at this page: FFSC Ministers Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts FFSC Bylaws 2026 Revision Stewardship Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

News & Stories / Fair News A Short History of the Fungus Fair At our recent club meeting, Phil Carpenter shared how FFSC and the Santa Cruz Fungus Fair came to be. Vellany Pierce • January 6, 2014 Phil Carpenter gives a short history of FFSC and the Fungus Fair Come and celebrate the Fair with us at Louden Nelson Center in Santa Cruz this coming weekend: January 10th, 2014: 3-7 Sat 11th, 2014: 10-5 Sun 12th, 2014: 10-5 Members Only Content Login Join FFSC Related Posts Fungus Fair Sculpture at the Wharf Mycology & Art News Haikus Celebrating the Secret Life of Fungi Writings Previous Article All News & Stories Next Article

Reishi Mushroom. Photo by Katherine Elvin Reishi Mushroom Katherine (Kitty) Elvin Lisa's finds... Camera Nikon COOLPIX P510 Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/3.0 Shutter Sp. 1/800s ISO 400 Flash Off Photo taken on September 18, 2015 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Mushroom Cloud Over Silicon Valley. Photo by Dan Turkus Mushroom Cloud Over Silicon Valley Dan Turkus I was out in the hills of Los Gatos looking for mushrooms and saw this mushroom cloud over the Silicon Valley. I took out my phone and took a picture of the only mushroom I found on that day, March 9, 2015. Camera Samsung SCH-I545 Focal L. 4mm Aperture f/2.2 Shutter Sp. ISO 50 Flash Off Photo taken on March 9, 2015 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo

Lycoperdon perlatum. © Alan Rockefeller Lycoperdon perlatum Alan Rockefeller Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum , iNaturalist Camera Canon EOS 60D Focal L. 100mm Aperture f/14.0 Shutter Sp. 1/200s ISO 640 Flash Fired Photo taken on July 1, 2012 Mushroom(s) ... Previous Photo Back to Gallery Next Photo