#then turns grey/lead coloured (which is what plumbeum means) when fully mature

[myxomycota]

i was so excited to discover this log of Dictydiaethalium plumbeum yesterday!! i’d only seen pictures of this strange slime before but i wasn’t sure whether it was present in Aotearoa because it has no previous iNaturalist observations here. Upon further investigation i learned it was first observed here in 1915, and has only three other confirmed observations in the country since then !! I tried my best to capture the perfect bubblegum pink of the immature slime but its very reflective… oh and shoutout to its little purple springtail friend :-)

#my slimes #dictydiaethalium plumbeum #including one in 1930s.. the other two were like 2001 + 2008 #which means it must be pretty uncommon especially since it is one of the more macroscopic slimes #it starts out very bubblegum pink #then turns mauve/rose coloured #then sometimes orange before turning brown/gold/yellow !! #then turns grey/lead coloured (which is what plumbeum means) when fully mature #dictydiaethalium #and yes i took a little home for my slimarium… 🫣 #myxomycota #slime mold #aotearoa #plasmodial #nature photography #forest floor #forestcore #nature #fungi #protists #eukaryotes #microbiology #microbiota #microorganisms