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Hay dung beetle is a small agaric fungus belonging to the class Agaricomycetes, family Psatirellaceae, genus Paneolin. Another name is paneolus senna. It is classified as a hallucinogen. Appears in May and bears fruit until frost. It grows especially actively in September and October.
Where does hay dung beetle grows
Hay dung beetle loves fertile soils. It can be found on pastures, fields, forest edges, lawns, in river valleys. Grows in low grass singly or in small groups. Sometimes the fruiting bodies grow together like mushrooms.
What does a hay dung beer look like
Paneolus senna is small in size. The diameter of its cap is from 8 to 25 mm, its height is from 8 to 16 mm. In a young specimen, it is semicircular, gradually acquiring the shape of a wide cone. Mature has the appearance of an umbrella or a bell, never flat. In wet weather, its surface is soft, grooves are visible. When dry, it is covered with scales and becomes torn, especially in older specimens. Color – from yellowish-beige to cinnamon. The dry cap is smooth, light brown; when wet, it darkens and changes color to red-brown.
The leg of the hay dung beetle is even, straight, sometimes slightly flat. She is fragile, hollow inside. The surface is smooth, the ring is absent. Its height is from 20 to 80 mm, diameter is about 3,5 mm. In dry weather, it is light, slightly reddish, in high humidity – brown. Its color is always lighter than that of the cap (especially at the top and in young specimens), it is brownish at the base.
The plates of the hay dung beetle are wide, frequent, adhering to the stem. In color, they are brownish, pale, spotted, with white edges. After maturation and loss of spores, black specks appear on them.
Is it possible to eat hay dung beetle
Paneolus senna has a hallucinogenic effect, it is inedible. It cannot be used for food.
Properties of hay dung beetle
Hay dung beetle contains the alkaloid psilocybin, which is a psychedelic, mild hallucinogen. The activity of the fungus varies from low to medium.
If paneolus senna enters the intestines, psilocybin is converted to psilocin, which has a weaker effect and causes minor to moderate visual and auditory hallucinations. Its action begins approximately 20 minutes after consumption. A person can become violent or, conversely, fall into a state of euphoria. Often there is dizziness, tremor of the legs and arms, attacks of fear and paranoia develop.
Similar species
Hay dung beetle has several similar species, which have significant differences.
Paneolus moth. Refers to inedible, contains psilocybin, has a moderate hallucinogenic effect. Some sources classify it as poisonous. It grows on rotten grass, cow or horse dung, so it can often be found in pastures and meadows. In most cases, it grows in colonies; single specimens are rare. The fruiting season is spring-autumn.
Paneolus moth, despite its resemblance to the hay dung beetle, is easy to distinguish by size: it is the largest representative of dung beetles. Another sign is more gray shades in the color of the fruiting body.
The leg is 6-12 cm long, up to 2-4 cm in diameter, it is hollow and fragile. In a young mushroom, a whitish coating can be seen on it. Its color is grayish brownish, when pressed it becomes darker. In some places, it contains white fibers in the form of a film.
The diameter of the cap is only 1,5-4 cm. It has a conical shape, slightly blunt. With the growth of the fungus, it becomes bell-shaped, at first the edges are bent inward, when ripe they straighten. On its surface there are white scaly fragments of fibers, the same as on the legs.
Spore plates are frequent, wide adherent to the stem, sometimes free. Their color is grayish with marble spots, blackened in old mushrooms. Spores are black.
In addition to size, it stands out among related species with the correct shape and even straight leg.
- The dung beetle is white. Refers to inedible species. Grows on horse manure, in damp grass. Fruiting from June to September. Its cap is first ovoid, then bell-shaped, and finally almost flat. Its color is white, the surface is powdery, washed off by rain, the size is 1-3 cm in diameter. The leg is white, 5-8 cm high, 1-3 mm in diameter. Spore powder and plates are black.
- Paneolus blue – a strong hallucinogen containing psychotropics: psilocybin, psilocin, beocystin, tryptamine, serotonin. Unsuitable for human consumption. In some sources, it is listed as conditionally edible, requiring careful heat treatment. It is found in Central Europe, in Primorye, in the Far East. It grows in the tropics and equatorial zones of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Fruiting time – June-September. It grows in grass, on manure, likes to settle in meadows, in grazing areas.
In young specimens, the hat is in the form of a hemisphere with edges turned up; in the process of growth, it becomes wide, open-bell-shaped. At first they are light brown, after maturation they become faded, grayish or white, sometimes a yellowish or brownish tint is retained. The plates are frequent, in young ones they are grayish, in mature ones they are almost black, covered with spots, with light edges. The pulp is whitish, thin, with a mealy smell.
Conclusion
Hay dung beetle is a small, toxic mushroom with a psychotropic effect. It is distributed all over the world and outwardly well known to mushroom pickers, for whom it is of no interest, since it cannot be eaten.