'Devil's Dipstick' with unknown fly butt!

I don't know which is the more gross, the fungi or the fly!

comments (5)

Ferdy Christant

Lion
So cool! Worthy of 2 lists:
- Fabulous Fungi
- Epic species names
Posted 11 years ago, modified 11 years ago
1. Claire Hamilton
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks Ferdy, just wish I knew what this weird fly was, I am sure it was red..and big! This fungus is about 8cm tall which gives an idea of the size of the fly. Posted 11 years ago
2. 1. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    Yes it does look huge, and the large spikes on its lower back are weird as well! Posted 11 years ago

morpheme

Lion

Just found this photo via one of Ferdy's lists - It's hard to tell since I cannot see the face on your fly, but the back side resembles a dejeaniops - there is precious little info on this fly, but with more info about your photo you might be able to at least rule it in or out as a possibility. Looks to be limited to South America, while your fungus is North American?, but I often find links from similar species, so it may still be a good starting point. Posted 10 years ago, modified 10 years ago

Claire Hamilton

Lion

Sorry Morpheme, I should have updated this. The fly is a Tachinid fly...

Both are in South Africa, I shall geotag it now!
Thank you for your efforts! Posted 10 years ago

The Devil's Dipstick

''Mutinus elegans'', commonly known as the elegant stinkhorn, the dog stinkhorn, the headless stinkhorn, or the devil's dipstick, is a species of fungus in the Phallaceae family. A saprobic species, it is typically found growing on the ground singly or in small groups on woody debris or leaf litter, during summer and autumn in Japan, Europe, and eastern North America. The fruit body begins its development in an "egg" form, resembling somewhat a puffball partially submerged in the ground. As the.. more

Info 11 0

Similar species: Phallales

Species identified by Claire Hamilton