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Cordyceps militaris.   Click a photo to enlarge it.   back to list

synonyms: Scarlet Caterpillar Club
Cordyceps militaris 2 Mushroom
Ref No: 7597
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Cordyceps militaris Mushroom
Ref No: 7598
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Cordyceps militaris3 Mushroom
Ref No: 7599
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location: North America, Europe
edibility: Inedible
fungus colour: Orange
normal size: Less than 5cm
cap type: Other
stem type: Lateral, rudimentary or absent
spore colour: White, cream or yellowish
habitat: Grows on dead insects

Cordyceps militaris (L. ex St. Amans) Link. Scarlet Caterpillar Club. Fruit body up to 7cm high, cylindrical or club-shaped; bright orange-red; the slightly swollen fertile head has a finely roughened surface and tapers into a smooth, paler, wavy stem. Asci very long, about 4µ wide. Spores threadlike, breaking into barrel-shaped part-spores, 3.5-6 x 1-1.5µ. Habitat singly or numerously on larvae and pupae of butterflies and moths. Quite common. Found throughout North America and Europe. Season September-November. Not edible.

Members' images and comments

Click here to upload and share your photos and comments about this mushroom (JPEG only please).
Steve Sheldon (United Kingdom) - 14 November 2012

Still finding 'Emm, caterpillar almost totally disintegrated this time, only the head left!
Cordyceps militaris3
Steve Sheldon (United Kingdom) - 22 October 2012

Found seven on this day, various sizes of caterpillar but unable to identify species!
Cordyceps militaris3
Mirosław Wantoch-Rekowski (Poland) - 06 November 2010

Na pastwisku.Okolice Chwaszczyna.Poland
Cordyceps militaris3
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