Strumpshaw Fen Slime Moulds & Fungi – August 2025

During August we continued to see Fuligo septica around the reserve woodland as well as other mature sporangial slime moulds that were not very photo-worthy. We also saw Tubifera ferruginosa, some Stemonitis and a Calocera viscosa (yellow stagshorn), all for the first time this year. We started seeing common earthballs – Scleroderma citrinum – around The Outpost, which I don’t recall seeing last year

3rd August

At the Zen Zone, on the same log we’ve previously seen, were mature slime mould sporangia parasitised by a fungus likely Stibella byssiseda. Also on the log were some mature Stemonitis sporangia or perhaps they were Stemonitopsis typhina.

At the Basecamp loop, on the log we often see slime moulds, we saw some mature Tubifera ferruginosa and were frustrated that only a day before it would have been a wonderful display!

A week later the sporangia had dehisced, resulting in powdery, sporey masses

Also on the log were some mature globular sporangia that appeared to be at the beginning of being parasitised.

At Basecamp, the Artomyces pyxidatus from July was still around.

This is a wonderful photo of the crown tips

Along the path at the Sandy Glade a closely grouped yellow mass of unidentified mature sporangia that were being parasitised.

On the same section of trunk that I saw my first Arcyria obvelata, sporey masses of Tubifera ferruginosa. More frustration that were we at the reserve a day earlier we would have seen a fabulous display.

On the edge of the Alder carr along the drainage channel path the daughter spotted Humaria hemisphaerica (glazed cup or brown hairy white cup)

After The Outpost some young Tubifera ferruginosa.

Such wonderful, translucent pinky salmon primordia.

10th August

At Basecamp Loop, on the Tubifera ferruginosa trunk from the previous week a small, pale apricot Tubifera ferruginosa.

And more parasitised sporangia of an unidentified slime mould.

Along the drainage channel path the daughter spotted what she said was a probably a felt saddle – Helvella macropus.

Just after the Yew Grove another good spot by the daughter – near some recent windthrown root hollows, our first sighting of Calocera viscosa of the year at the reserve woodland. In the photo below, the windthrown hollow and root is at the top right and the Calocera viscosa circled.

At the downed trunk near The Outpost where we’ve seen Badhamia utricularis and Arcyria obvelata – more puffy capillitial remains of Arcyria obvelata.

These sporangia have an emerging form similar to Hemitrichia clavata, whose mature forms were also on the log (but difficult to photo).

After The Outpost, on the same decaying Birch trunk that we documented the development of Stemonitis flavogenita (Slime moulds & fungi at Strumpshaw Fen June 2024 overview), some mature Tubifera ferruginosa pseudoaethalia.

On the same section of trunk some small groups of unidentified sporangia.

The first common earthballs of the year – Scleroderma citrinum.

17th August

At The Dell there was a solitary earthball – Mycokey’s online ID tool suggest that this is a scaly earthball – Scleroderma verrucosum. And indeed it is different to the common earthballs that we spotted the previous week (above) – overall the colour is not so pale and the scales smaller and darker.

Near The Outpost we spotted gregarious groups of light vinaceous grey sporangial capillitial meshes that looked like an Arcyria slime mould. Interspersed were capillitial sporangia of Hemitrichia clavata.

On a broken off fragment of the same trunk some scattered clusters of Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa.

31st August

At Basecamp maybe a nut disco – I can’t remember the substrate they are growing on.

At the edge of the alder carr along the drainage channel path, on the ground, numerous clusters of Stemonitis.

At the end of the drainage channel path two cup fungi and possibly an orange bonnet.
We often seen the white fuzz to the left of the cups and I guess it’s probably mycelium…?

Near The Outpost some translucent young sporangia with a hint of yellow.