So, if you are like me and many other mushroomers, you probably have a few artist shelf (Gandoderma applanatum) mushrooms laying around your house for decoration. And perhaps, you may find that over the course of the year some strange prehistoric looking beetles wondering your house. I didn't put the two things together right away until after I noticed the holes in the pore surface of my shelf mushrooms. With a quick note and photo sent off to Phil Peliterri at the UW, I had the bug;'s identity....the Forked Fungus Beetle (Bolitotherus cornutus).
The male of this species has two horns on its head and both sexes have a very bumpy surfaced, black body. The larvae and beetles live particularly in G. applanatum and can spend up to 9 years inhabiting one mushroom until it is honeycombed with tunnels. Check out this description of the bugs from UW Milwaukee's website.
Below are photos from club member Cynthia Krakowski who had a similar bug experience last fall with her artist shelf:)
The male of this species has two horns on its head and both sexes have a very bumpy surfaced, black body. The larvae and beetles live particularly in G. applanatum and can spend up to 9 years inhabiting one mushroom until it is honeycombed with tunnels. Check out this description of the bugs from UW Milwaukee's website.
Below are photos from club member Cynthia Krakowski who had a similar bug experience last fall with her artist shelf:)
 Forked Fungus Beetles (female above, male below). Photo by C. Krakowski |  Gandoderma applanatum with exit holes from Forked Fungus Beetle (photo by C. Krakowski) |
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