Mushrooms are predatory. Which mushrooms are called carnivorous?

The world of predators is so diverse that sometimes you can meet another "devourer" where you do not expect this at all. For example, in the realm of mushrooms. Not everyone knows what mushrooms are called predatory, how they hunt, what they are useful or dangerous for humans.

When it comes to mushrooms, it is difficult for us to imagine that some of them are very carnivorous. How can this be? After all, they "sit" on the spot and they do not even have a mouth? Even more interesting is that people have learned to use killer mushrooms for their own good. How a person uses predatory mushrooms and what they are - the topic of this article.

Who are those where they grow up?

Already from the name itself it becomes clear what fungi are called predatory. Of course, those who catch and kill their victims are microscopic living organisms.

Such mushrooms prefer to settle among plant roots or in mosses, but quite often they are found in water bodies, especially standing ones. Some of them live on the bodies of insects, while eating them from the inside. Such mushroom hunters can shoot spores for a distance of up to 1 meter. Getting on the body of the victim, they sprout inside and gradually eat it.

Surprisingly, mushrooms are practically the only living organisms on earth that instantly adapt to any climate change. It can be safely asserted that these microscopic predators spread their networks directly under the feet of a man. And these networks never remain empty.

History of appearance

Mushrooms (predatory and not very) are so ancient creatures that it is difficult to imagine. Precisely to establish, when they appeared on the Earth, it is rather problematic, because scientists practically do not come across fossil remains. Most often, they can be found only in small pieces of amber. This is how an ancient fossil mushroom was found in France, feeding on worms up to 5 mm in length.

Scientists believe that even this prehistoric fungus is still not the progenitor of modern. In the process of evolution, the "deadly" functions have been regenerated so many times that they can not be counted. Therefore, modern mushroom hunters are no longer relatives of prehistoric predators.

Classification of mushrooms by trap type

Since some mushrooms are predatory creatures of nature, they, accordingly, have some kind of hunter apparatus.
More precisely, there are several types:

• Glue-shaped globular heads located on the mycelium (typical of Monacrosporium ellipsosporum, A. entomophaga);
• Sticky branches of hyphae: such trappers have Arthrobotrys perpasta, Monacrosporium cionopagum;
• Adhesive net-traps, consisting of a large number of rings, which are obtained by branching hyphae: such a device for hunting has, for example, Arthrobotris small-spore;
• Mechanical trapping machines - the mining is squeezed by them and perishes: in this way, Dactylaria snow white hunts on its victims.

Of course, this rather brief information about which mushrooms are predatory and how they hunt. In fact, the species of these microscopic hunters are much larger.

How do killer mushrooms hunt?

So, predatory mushrooms: how do they hunt and whom do they eat? Fungi place their sticky ring-traps in the soil and wait for small worms-nematodes. A large number of such rings create entire networks located around the mycelium. As soon as the worm touches the edge, it immediately sticks. The ring begins to shrink around the body of its victim, it is almost impossible to be saved. Everything happens very quickly, in fractions of seconds.

The body of the caught worm is penetrated by hyphae and begins to grow. Even if a nematode miraculously manages to escape, it will not save it. The hyphae in her body grow so fast that only a day after the worm remains. Together with the dying worm, the mycelium "will move" to a new place and again spread its nets.

If the killer fungus lives in water, then its food is rotifers, amoeba, Cyclops and other inhabitants of the reservoir. The principle of hunting in them is the same - the hyphus gets on its prey, gets inside and begins to grow in its body.

Unknown oyster mushrooms

Few people know, however, popular oyster mushrooms are also predatory mushrooms. They do not miss the opportunity to regale themselves with a worm. Like other hunters, their mycelium dissolves its subordinate hyphae, which produce a rather poisonous toxin.

This poison paralyzes the victim and instantly digs into it. After that, the oyster mushroom calmly digests its prey. Toxins of vesicles act not only on the nematodes. In the same way, they eat even enchytraeids - quite large relatives of the earthworm. Contributes to this toxin ostearin, produced by fungi. Nor will it be affected by the armor pliers accidentally caught nearby.

It turns out that these mushrooms are dangerous to eat? No. Scientists say that there is no poisonous toxin in the fruiting body of the fungus. Programmed by nature, the machine needs oyster mushrooms only to protect against pests - ticks, ticks and springtails.

Mushroom killer - friends forever, but not always

Now let's talk about how a person uses predatory mushrooms. Can they benefit in economic activities or pose a danger?

A fungus-hunter that destroys nematodes and other pests like it, is certainly a friend of man. Strong soil contamination with nematodes poses a great danger to crops. But since mushrooms are predatory, they constantly need food, which pests become. So hunter mushrooms have long been an excellent alternative to very toxic preparations with anthelmintic effect, the use of which leads not only to pollution of the environment, but also increased resistance to poisons and mutation of the parasites themselves.

But predaceous mushrooms are not always human friends. Since X-XII century, mankind has known a disease called "fire of St. Anthony" in Western Europe. In Russia this ailment was called "evil cramps", which completely conveys the condition of the patient. Symptoms of this ailment are vomiting, loss of appetite, terrible pain in the intestines and stomach, weakness. In the most severe cases, the curvature and necrosis of the limbs was observed, the meat was separated from the bones.

For a long time no one knew what caused this misfortune. Only after a long time it was established that the disease causes ergot - a predatory fungus, living in the ears of rye and forming there black horns. They contain a poisonous substance - ergotin. Therefore, today the disease is called ergotism. Bread from such flour can not be consumed, since the poison retains its properties even at high temperature.

Conclusion

Now you know a little more. In particular, about what mushrooms are called predatory, how they hunt and what can be useful or dangerous for humans. In addition, it's just very interesting, it is possible that such knowledge will be useful to you in the future.