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Folded dung beetle is a miniature mushroom belonging to the family Psathyrellaceae (Psatirellaceae) of the genus Parasola (Parasola). It got its name for its favorite places of growth – manure heaps, landfills, compost, pasture areas. Due to its appearance and pale coloration, it is sometimes confused with grebes.
Knowing the distinguishing features, places, and characteristics of growth will help you get to know the species better, learn to identify it without making mistakes.
Where does the folded dung beetle grow
Folded dung beetle belongs to soil saprotrophs (they feed on organic matter formed as a result of decomposition of plants and animals), loves places with low grass, lawns, areas along roads, where it appears one by one or in small groups. Sometimes you can meet him in urban areas.
Mushrooms prefer substrates rich in organic matter – humus, rotting wood, compost. They grow from May until the onset of frost.
The folded dung beetle is distributed everywhere in the middle lane, in a temperate climate.
What does a folded dung beetle look like
A miniature dung beetle at the beginning of its life cycle has an ovoid, conical or bell-shaped hat with a diameter of 5 mm to 30 mm. Its color can be yellow, green, brown, brown. After a few hours, it opens, becomes flat, thin, similar to an umbrella with radial folds. The color changes to grayish-bluish or brownish. The plates on the cap are rare, arranged freely, their shades are light gray at first, later becoming dark, and finally black. Near the leg, they form a collarium – a cartilaginous ring of fused plates.
The stem of the mushroom is thin and long. Its height is from 3 to 10 cm, thickness – about 2 mm. The shape is cylindrical, expanding towards the base, smooth, hollow inside, very fragile. The color of the pulp is white, there is no smell. There is no membranous ring on the leg. Spore powder black.
Is it possible to eat folded dung beetle
Dung beetle belongs to the group of inedible mushrooms. The reason for this is the small size of the fruiting bodies and the difficulty in detecting. Its taste is not described, poison is not found in it. Fruiting bodies do not represent culinary value. Not recommended for consumption.
Similar species
It is extremely difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish similar species. Among them there are several that have both common and different features with the folded dung beetle.
Bolbitius golden
In the first hours after the appearance, the folded dung beetle is very similar to the golden bolbitius, the cap of which at first has a bright yellow color. Later, it turns pale and becomes off-white, retaining the original shade only in the center. Its diameter is about 3 cm. The hat is fragile, almost transparent, first in the shape of a bell, and then straightens. The stalk of the bolbitius is cylindrical, hollow, with powdery coating. Height – about 15 cm. Spore powder – brown.
The mushroom is found in fields, meadows, grows on compost, rotted hay. In the middle of the short life cycle of the bolbitius, the resemblance to the folded dung beetle disappears. The mushroom is not poisonous, but is inedible.
Dung beetle
It grows singly in decaying trees, low grass. It has a cap with a diameter of up to 35 mm, at first ovoid, later prostrate and slightly depressed. Color – yellow or brown, with stripes along the edges.
The leg of the smooth-headed dung beetle is thin, about 2 mm in diameter, up to 6 cm long, without pubescence. The pulp has a dense texture, a pleasant smell. Spore powder red-brown. The mushroom is not poisonous, it is inedible.
Dung beetle scattered or common
Its cap is small, no more than 15 mm in diameter, has a bell-shaped folded shape, light cream at a young age, later becoming gray. The pulp is thin, almost odorless. Does not produce black liquid when decomposed. The leg of the scattered dung beetle is fragile, about 3 cm long, gray in color. Spore powder is black.
Grows in huge colonies on decaying wood. Refers to inedible.
Conclusion
The folded dung beetle is a representative of a large group of rather exotic looking mushrooms. They can be found anywhere, as they grow well on various types of organic matter. Identifying and distinguishing them from similar species is very useful for anyone, especially a beginner mushroom picker. But you should not eat these mushrooms, since nothing is thoroughly known about their edibility, except that they are not poisonous.
