This Mushroom Fakes Its Own Death To Trick Flies | Deep Look

Описание: The cage fungus looks and smells like decaying meat — on purpose. Its goopy lattice gives off a rotten odor that attracts flies, which help spread its spores far and wide. It's like a bee to a flower, but way more macabre and putrid.

SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look! http://goo.gl/8NwXqt
Please join our community on Patreon!   / deeplook  

DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.

---
Cage fungus gets its name from the shape of its spongy lattice-shaped mushroom. “It's this kind of red-orange geodesic dome,” says naturalist Damon Tighe. “They can get up to the size of a softball and they're open on the inside where they've got this sticky, gooey substance called gleba.”

The gleba contains the fungus’ reproductive spores and it’s the gleba that gives the mushroom its fetid aroma.

“It reeks of death,” says Tighe. “If you get up close to it, there are these sharp notes that hit your nose that just make you recoil immediately.”

Flies that normally feed on stinky things like carrion and feces are drawn to the smell. They lap up the gleba, inadvertently downing millions of the spores and spreading them far and wide.

--- What is red cage fungus?
Clathrus ruber is a type of stinkhorn mushroom. Like most mushrooms, what you see above ground is only a small percent of the entire organism. Most of it is made up of a network of thin threads called the mycelium. When the conditions are right, the mycelium produces an “egg” that pops up above ground. When it's mature, the lattice structure called a receptacle bursts out from the “egg.”

--- Why do cage fungus smell so bad?
The gleba found on the inside surfaces of the cage fungus fruiting body contains compounds like dimethyl sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs. The foul smell attracts flies that spread the fungus’ spores.

--- What do cage fungus eat?
Cage fungus is saprobic, feeding on dead and dying wood. The fungus’ mycelium digest the cellulose in the wood, returning nutrients to the soil.


---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science:
https://www.kqed.org/science/1978560/...

---+ More great Deep Look episodes:

This Killer Fungus Turns Flies into Zombies | Deep Look
   • This Killer Fungus Turns Flies into Zombie...  

This Mushroom Starts Killing You Before You Even Realize It | Deep Look
   • This Mushroom Starts Killing You Before Yo...  

Here’s How That Annoying Fly Dodges Your Swatter | Deep Look
   • Here’s How That Annoying Fly Dodges Your S...  


---+ Shoutout!

🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following 5 fans on our Deep Look Community Tab for identifying why the female oak moth is fanning her wings ― to spread her pheromones to attract males!

Norwyn
Kenzo Hofmeister
Hèctor Bonnin Obach
Tu fon Kin
MeEeDo

---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)!

Jessica
Chris B Emrick
Burt Humburg
Karen Reynolds
David Deshpande
Daisuke Goto
Allison & Maka Masuda
Adam Kurtz
Tianxing Wang
Companion Cube
Josh Kuroda
Wild Turkey
Germán Botón García
Mark Jobes
Blanca Vides
Kevin Judge
Jana Brenning
Aurora
monoirre
Titania Juang
Roberta K Wright
Anastasia Grinkevic
Syniurge
Supernovabetty
Carrie Mukaida
KW
El Samuels
Jellyman
Nicky O.
Cristen Rasmussen
Mehdi
Kristy Freeman
Scott Faunce
SueEllen McCann
Kelly Hong
Sonia Tanlimco
Noreen Herrington
Cindy McGill
Louis O'Neill
Misia Clive
Laurel Przybylski
Shelley Pearson Cranshaw
Jeremiah Sullivan
Joshua Murallon Robertson
Nicolette Ray
Caitlin McDonough
Wade Tregaskis
吳怡彰
Levi Cai
Shonara Rivas
kenneth nguyen !
Silvan
Delphine Tseng
TierZoo
Elizabeth Ann Ditz
Corvus Crudus
rafael pirondi

---+ Follow KQED Science and Deep Look:

Instagram:   / kqedscience  
Twitter:   / kqedscience  

---+ About KQED

KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, California, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media.

Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by The National Science Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED.