A rare mushroom that turns spider victims into ‘zombies’ is among more than 650 species recorded by a community project set up to study wildlife in Scotland’s rainforests.
Gibberula fungi is a member of the Cordyceps family, the same family as Cordyceps sinensis, made famous by the video game and television series The Last of Us.
Once attached to a host, Gibellula eats the spider from the inside out, leaving the entire exoskeleton intact. The fruiting body then erupts to spread further spores and claim the next victim.
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Two examples of this fungus were discovered by amateur naturalist Ben Mitchell as part of the West Kowal Habitat Restoration Project. Argyle Countryside Trust (activity).
The project aims to restore rare temperate rainforest across the Kilfinnan and Corintraib peninsulas, including the Kyles of Butte National Scenic Area.
Other species found include colorful slime molds, glowworms, moths, butterflies, orchids, and even jellyfish. Volunteers also discovered wildlife unique to temperate rainforests, including rare lichens, mosses and liverworts.
Ben said: “It was really great to be part of this project. We found a lot of species, but my favorite is definitely the Gibellula fungus.
“This is part of a group of fungi known for turning victims into ‘zombies’ and forcing them to perform certain actions before killing them. Gibellula seems to move the spider to the underside of the leaf and then stick it there.
restoration
“Maybe it’s to protect the spores from the rain when they set fruit, making them easier to fall onto other unsuspecting spiders. It’s a bit cruel, but it’s all part of the wonderful natural world. That’s it!”
He added:Over the past 70 years or so, there have been approximately 10 records of Gibellula in Scotland.we can add two to that aggregation. This shows how rich our temperate rainforests are, but it also shows how important it is to get out there and observe and record wildlife. You never really know what you’ll find next. ”
Wildlife is often under-recorded in Scotland, especially in remote areas, but volunteers at the West Cowar Project are identifying more species almost every day.
These include specialists that indicate rainforest habitat, such as Wilson’s film fern, yellow-spotted belly lichen, plum fruit felt lichen, ruffled fruit jelly skin lichen, and hazel grove fungus.
ACT Forestry Coordinator Ian Dow launched the recording project using the online platform iNaturalist.
“The focus of the West Kowal project is habitat restoration, particularly rhododendron management and deer management,” he said. But with all restoration projects like this, it’s important to know what’s been lost and what’s left so you can monitor progress.
partnership
“The terrain in this part of the world can be difficult and the area covered is vast, so there has been no proper research in this area since the 1980s. At that time, forests were severely affected by acid rain. This has had a negative impact on some of the truly rare and special species found in Scotland’s rainforests.
“Now is the perfect time to look again, as acid rain is decreasing. It’s safe to say we’re all shocked by what we’ve found. Local communities are really excited about this project. They are united and very passionate about the local rainforest. We could not have done this without them.”
Scotland’s rainforests consist of ancient woodlands that grow within the western region, which receives high rainfall and is relatively calm throughout the year. It is home to hundreds of species of mosses, liverworts and lichens, as well as rare birds and butterflies. Only 30,000 hectares of this habitat remain in Scotland.
The West Cowal Habitat Restoration Project is one of eight projects adopted by the Scottish Rainforest Alliance (ASR), a partnership of 24 organizations working together to restore Scotland’s rainforests. The ASR project covers almost 300,000 hectares, or just over 15 percent of the rainforest growing area, with more under development.
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Brendan Montague is the editor Ecologist. If you would like to get involved in the West Coval iNaturist project, learn more. online.
