Cordyceps, a triple threat

[Ken Ramos]

Ran across something I thought to be unusal, getting back to the subject of the Cordyceps fungi. Mostly I find ants with only one stroma or fruiting body erupting from the area directly behind the head. This one appears to have began its growth and it was cut short for some unknown reason. Evidently, it was not to be denied and instead, from the original stroma, it produced two more, so actually we have double the dispersal of deadly spores.







Sony DSC-W5
Program mode
1/8 sec. @ f/2.8 ISO 100
Meiji EMZ-13TR
Onboard Halogen Illuminator w/blue diffuser
(All Images)

[beetleman]

I think you have something very interesting there Ken. Certainly looks like a case of interrupted growth. Very persistant little bugger. Nice find and sharp photos

[Ken Ramos]

Thanks Doug. Looking closely at the second image you can see in the center where it looks as though two more tried to originate from the main stalk at the tip but were stunted. Hopefully this spring I will have some new species of Cordyceps to ponder. I noticed them last spring and during the summer rising up from the ground in some mossy areas around the lawn. Not knowing what they were at the time, I dismissed them as being some sort of odd fungi but nothing much out of the ordinary too. Now after having researched some of the species of Cordyceps, I found that below those, before hand odd looking fungi, there is probably a caterpillar that has also succumbed to the fungi.

Thanks Doug!