# Wasp's Nest Slime Mold (*metatrichia vesparia*)

The Wasp'S Nest Slime Mold looks like a gooey, yellowish blob that can change shape! It loves to grow on decaying wood and can move to find moisture.

- **Category:** [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fungi)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Decaying wood in forests and damp areas.
- **Also known as:** Wasp Nest Fungus

![Wasp's Nest Slime Mold](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Metatrichia_vesparia_247101634.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Annie Weissman, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Metatrichia_vesparia_247101634.jpg)

## Appearance

The Wasp'S Nest Slime Mold has a unique appearance, starting as a yellow or orange slimy mass that matures into dark, intricate sporangia clusters. These tiny, cylindrical structures are often stalked and grouped, creating a striking resemblance to a miniature, abandoned wasp's nest, distinct from typical fungi.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Fungi
- **Phylum:** Mycetozoa
- **Class:** Myxomycetes
- **Order:** Trichiales
- **Family:** Trichiaceae
- **Genus:** Metatrichia

## Interesting facts

- It starts as a tiny cell, then grows into a giant, visible oozing blob!
- Its sporangia glimmer with metallic sheen, looking like tiny jewel-encrusted nests!
- Some slime molds can 'remember' where they found food, even without a brain!
- This amazing 'mold' is not a fungus, it's a single-celled organism!

## Special abilities

- **Shape Shifter:** Wasp'S Nest Slime Mold has the ability to transform from a single-celled amoeba into a mobile, multi-nucleated blob, aiding in nutrient search.
- **Chemical Tracker:** Wasp'S Nest Slime Mold can detect tiny chemical signals in its environment, allowing it to accurately find new food sources.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 0.05-0.15 cm
- **Edible:** inedible
- **Growth Substrate:** wood
- **Season:** Wet seasons
- **Spore Color:** Dark brown to black

## Ecological connections

- **Eats:** Hay Bacillus (*Bacillus subtilis*) — Engulfs common soil bacteria for energy.
- **Eats:** Baker's Yeast (*Saccharomyces cerevisiae*) — Consumes fungal spores found on decaying wood.
- **Eaten by:** Springtail (*Folsomia candida*) — Tiny springtails graze on the slime mold's plasmodium.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Fungi](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fungi)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Wasp's Nest Slime Mold?

Compare the cap shape, the underside, the stem and base, and whether the fungus grows on wood or soil. Some fungi have gills, others pores or teeth. A cap seen only from above often hides the most useful features. Mushroom Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Wasp's Nest Slime Mold?

0.05-0.15 cm

### Is Wasp's Nest Slime Mold edible?

inedible

### Where is Wasp's Nest Slime Mold usually found?

Decaying wood in forests and damp areas.

### What does Wasp's Nest Slime Mold grow on?

wood

### When is Wasp's Nest Slime Mold in season?

Wet seasons

### What color are Wasp's Nest Slime Mold spores?

Dark brown to black

## Where to spot

- [Gallitzin State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gallitzin-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest
- [Eudora Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eudora-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Fungi

- [Field Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Button Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/button-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Portobello Mushroom](https://www.snappit.app/explore/portobello-mushroom) (*Agaricus*)
- [Shiitake](https://www.snappit.app/explore/shiitake) (*Lentinula*)

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Source: [Wasp's Nest Slime Mold: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wasps-nest-slime-mold)