Umu otaota fulufulu-vae (Coprinopsis lagopus) ata ma faʻamatalaga

Hairy-legged dung beetle (Coprinopsis lagopus)

Fluffy dung beetle, po o faʻanoanoa (O le t. Coprinopsis lagopus) is a non-poisonous mushroom from the genus Coprinopsis (see Coprinus).

Fluffy dung beetle hat:

Fusiform-elliptical in young mushrooms, as they mature (within a day, no longer) it opens to bell-shaped, then to almost flat with edges wrapped up; autolysis, self-dissolution of the cap, begins at the bell-shaped stage, so that usually only the central part of it survives to the “flat” stage. The diameter of the cap (at the spindle-shaped stage) is 1-2 cm, height – 2-4 cm. The surface is densely covered with the remains of a common veil – small white flakes, similar to a pile; at rare intervals, an olive-brown surface is visible. The flesh of the cap is very thin, fragile, quickly decomposes from the plates.

Faamaumauga:

Frequent, narrow, loose, light gray in the first few hours, then darken to black, turning into inky slime.

Spora pauta:

Violet black.

Vaʻa:

Height 5-8 cm, thickness up to 0,5 mm, cylindrical, often curved, white, covered with light scales.

Faʻasalalau:

Hairy-legged dung beetle sometimes occurs “in summer and autumn” (the timing of fruiting needs to be clarified) in various places on well-rotted remains of deciduous trees, and sometimes, obviously, on richly manured soil. The fruiting bodies of the fungus develop and disappear very quickly, Coprinus lagopus is recognizable only in the first hours of life, so clarity on the distribution of the fungus will not come soon.

Ituaiga tutusa:

The genus Coprinus is replete with similar species – the blurring of features and a short lifespan make analysis much more difficult. Experts call Coprinus lagopides as a “double” of the hairy dung beetle, which itself is larger, and the spores are smaller. In general, there are a lot of dung beetles, in which a common veil leaves small white ornaments on the hat; Coprinus picaceus is distinguished by its black skin and larger flakes, while Coprinus cinereus is less ornate, larger, and growing on soil. In general, there can be no question of any certainty of determination by macroscopic features, not to mention fortune-telling from a photograph.