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Hairy-legged dung beetle is an inedible non-poisonous mushroom, little known to lovers of “silent hunting”. The reason is not only in the dissonant name, but also in the extraordinary appearance, as well as the insufficient amount of information about it. Other names are the fluffy and furry dung beetle. And in Latin, the mushroom is called Coprinus lagopus. It belongs to the Psatirellaceae family, genus Coprinopsis.
Where does hairy dung beetle grow
The species is found on decayed remains of wood, prefers deciduous species. Often mushrooms grow on manured soils. It is difficult to accurately determine the distribution area of the hairy dung beetle, since it is possible to recognize it only in the first few hours of life. Fruiting bodies develop and disappear very quickly. For the same reason, it is difficult to establish the fruiting period. The season begins at the beginning of summer and lasts, according to various assumptions, until the end of the hot months or until mid-autumn.
What does a hairy dung beetle look like
The species stands out among relatives with a velvety, variegated surface. It has a short lifespan, at the end of which it turns into a resinous black substance.
The growth phases of the hairy-legged dung beetle are clearly defined. The first is characterized by a spindle-shaped or elliptical shape of the cap. Its diameter reaches 1-2,5 cm, and its height is up to 4-5 cm. The color is olive, with a brown tint. It is almost completely hidden by light scales.
The next stage comes in about a day. The cap lengthens, becomes bell-shaped, like most members of the genus. At this stage, the fruiting bodies are already inedible. The process of autolysis, that is, self-dissolution, starts.
At the last stage of growth, the shape changes to prostrate. It reaches only the center of the cap. The edges are pulled up. The fungus quickly decomposes, leaving only the top with dark edges.
On the surface of the fruiting body are white flakes, which are the remains of a common coverlet. Outwardly, they look like villi. An olive-brown color appears between them. The pulp is fragile, decomposes quickly.
The leg is high, up to 8 cm in length. Hollow inside, pubescent outside, slightly curved, cylindrical. Its color is whitish, with an olive tint.
Narrow and loose plates are often located. During the first hours of the existence of the fungus, they are light gray. Soon the plates darken to black. Then they turn into slime. The spore powder is colored black and purple.
Is it possible to eat hairy dung beetle
In various sources, hairy-footed dung beetle is ranked among the mushrooms that are not eaten. Obviously, the main reason for this discrepancy is the ability of its fruiting bodies to quickly decompose. In any case, you should not taste the mushroom, it is inedible.
Similar species
The genus Coprinopsis includes a large number of species with similar external features. They are not always possible to distinguish due to the short lifespan and blurring of signs. There are several representatives of the genus, in which the common veil leaves small white decorations on their hats.
One similar species is woodpecker, an inedible hallucinogenic variety. Characteristic features are a black surface and large flake sizes.
Another fungus that can be confused with the hairy dung beetle is the common dung beetle, which is edible at a young age. His hat is not so richly decorated, the sizes are larger. In addition, the species grows on the soil, and not on rotting wood.
Snow-white dung beetle is an inedible specimen. Its external signs: a small hat 1-3 cm in diameter, covered with white skin with a pronounced mealy coating. The shape of the cap changes from ovoid to conical, and then flattened. Leg light shade, thin. The fungus prefers horse manure. Often found in wet grass. Fruiting occurs in the summer and autumn months.
Dung beetle belongs to the group of conditionally edible mushrooms. Changes the shape of the cap from ovoid to bell-shaped with a height of about 7 cm. Its diameter does not exceed 5 cm. The surface is covered with small scales. The leg is white, elongated, has no ring.
Conclusion
The hairy-footed dung beetle is a typical representative of the genus Coprinopsis, which has absorbed all its features. The main distinguishing feature of the species is a short lifespan. If in the evening in the forest a mushroom picker meets a motley family of dung beetles, then the next morning, returning to the same place, he will most likely find only stumps instead of hearth bodies, as if stained with dark resin. Mushrooms seem to “melt”. They should not be collected in any form and eaten.