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Tiny, Tiny Fungus? (1 Viewer)

SueO

Well-known member
Hi,
I'm on the Carribean side of the Panama Canal. My dock neighbor is wondering about these tiny things growing on her shade cloth. She came to ask me about them (because I know the local birds;)). I told here I could try and get an answer from here. They look like a fungus, but maybe seedlings? There are epiphytes galore around here. I would guess they are about 3mm high. She said they grew in sprials, one was one way, another grew the opposite way. They released something in the air and shrivled.
The electricity is out here and I am loading and typing on half a computer battery and if it doesn't come on soon, I will not be able to come back for awhile, so in case there is someone who has an idea about these and answers, I am not being intentionaly rude if I don't come back for a few hours.
Thanks,
Sue
 

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Hi Sue,

That fact that they are in a spiral indicates to me that they were placed there by something rather than seeds or spores landing there and sprouting.

I would say that they are eggs of some sort, eggs from what I have no guess. I think that the "stalks" that they are attached to are actually fibers protruding from the cloth that the eggs are stuck to.

Mike
 
Well, after a little research it appears that I was partially correct, eggs, but the stalk is part of the egg.

Take a look at these pictures of green lacewing eggs. Maybe not the exact species you have, but probably pretty close.

Mike
 
Wow, Mike, I think you have it! My neighbor will be relieved that aliens aren't involved.;) She was really concerned for me because my hand came close to them photographing them.:-O Thank-you so much for your time.

As an aside, before I saw your second post, I went online to dig up something I found earlier about fungus growing in a spiral because I didn't think the stalks were the fabric. I found this:

http://physics.aps.org/story/v27/st14

The stalks were way too long, but it had similarities. Yours looks exact. I never even thought of eggs. Wow. This place is a mysterious and wonderous world, huh?
Thanks Again,
Sue
 
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