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The folded dung beetle is a miniature mushroom belonging to the family Psathyrellaceae (Psathyrellaceae) of the genus Parasola (Parasola). It got its name from its favorite places of growth - manure heaps, landfills, compost, pasture areas. Due to its appearance and pale color, it is sometimes confused with toadstools.
Knowing the distinctive features, places, and growth characteristics will help you get to know the species better and learn to identify it without making mistakes.
Where does the folded dung beetle grow?
The folded dung beetle belongs to the soil saprotrophs (they feed on organic matter formed as a result of the decomposition of plants and animals), loves places with short grass, lawns, areas along roads, where it appears one by one or in small groups. Sometimes you can find it 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 widespread throughout the middle zone, in temperate climates.
What does the folded dung beetle look like?
At the beginning of its life cycle, the miniature dung beetle has an ovoid, conical or bell-shaped cap with a diameter of 5 mm to 30 mm. Its color can be yellow, green, brown, brown. After a few hours, it opens up, becomes flat, thin, like an umbrella with radial folds. The color changes to grayish-bluish or brownish. The plates on the cap are sparse, freely arranged, their shades are initially light gray, later become 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 is about 2 mm. The shape is cylindrical, widens towards the base, smooth, hollow inside, very fragile. The color of the pulp is white, there is no smell. It does not have a membranous ring on the stem. Black spore powder.
Is it possible to eat the folded dung beetle?
The folded dung beetle belongs to the group of inedible mushrooms. The reason for this is the small size of the fruiting bodies and difficulty in detection. Its taste has not been described, and no poison has been found in it. The fruiting bodies have no culinary value. Not recommended for consumption.
Similar species
It is extremely difficult for a non-specialist to distinguish between similar species. Among them there are several that have both common and different features with the folded dung beetle.
Bolbitius aureus
In the first hours after its appearance, the folded dung beetle is very similar to Bolbitius aureus, the cap of which is initially bright yellow. Later it fades and becomes dirty white, retaining the original shade only in the center. Its diameter is about 3 cm. The cap is fragile, almost transparent, at first in the shape of a bell, and then straightens. The leg of Bolbitius is cylindrical, hollow, with a powdery coating. Height – about 15 cm. Spore powder – brown.
The mushroom is found in fields, meadows, and grows on compost and rotted hay. In the middle of the short life cycle of Bolbitius, the resemblance to the folded dung beetle disappears. The mushroom is not poisonous, but is classified as inedible.
Smooth-headed dung beetle
Grows singly in rotting trees and short 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 consistency and a pleasant smell. Spore powder is red-brown in color. The mushroom is not poisonous and is inedible.
Dung beetle scattered or widespread
Its cap is small, no more than 15 mm in diameter, has a folded bell-shaped shape, is light cream when young, and later becomes gray. The pulp is thin, practically odorless. When decomposed, it does not produce black liquid. The leg of the dung beetle is fragile, about 3 cm long, gray in color. Spore powder is black.
Grows in huge colonies on rotting wood. Classified as inedible.
Conclusion
The folded dung beetle is a representative of a large group of rather exotic-looking mushrooms. They can be found anywhere because they grow well on various types of organic matter. Identifying and distinguishing them from similar species is very useful for anyone, especially a novice mushroom picker. But you should not eat these mushrooms, since nothing is known thoroughly about their edibility, except that they are not poisonous.
