Clubs/stalks on invertebrates species

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The following moderators provide knowledge and expertise for Clubs/stalks on invertebrates:

Heino1  |  Csteele4  |  KenT  |  Pam  |  CanberraFungiGroup

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Overview

In the Canberra Nature Map area most of the club-like invertebrate parasites would belong to the genus Cordyceps (or its relatives) and these are known colloquially as Vegetable caterpillars.  A couple of species produce sizeable clubs (over 10 centimetres) but others reach only a centimetres or so in height. A 10x handlens is likely to show you pimples on the upper part of a Cordyceps fruitbody. Each pimple is the apex of an embedded perithecium, a roughly spherical chamber within which you find the spore-producing organs.

 

In many cases the parasitized invertebrate is likely to be out of sight, with the fruitbody seemingly growing from wood or soil.

3 species

Cordyceps sp. (A Vegetable Caterpillar)

Cordyceps sp.
Cordyceps sp.
Cordyceps sp.

Drechmeria gunnii (Dark Vegetable Caterpillar)

Drechmeria gunnii
Drechmeria gunnii
Drechmeria gunnii

Conservation level

  • All conservation levels (change?)

Invasiveness

  • All invasiveness levels (change?)

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