Lycogalaceae
All images on this website have been taken in Leicestershire and Rutland by NatureSpot members. We welcome new contributions - just register and use the Submit Records form to post your photos. Click on any image below to visit the species page. The RED / AMBER / GREEN dots indicate how easy it is to identify the species - see our Identification Difficulty page for more information. A coloured rating followed by an exclamation mark denotes that different ID difficulties apply to either males and females or to the larvae - see the species page for more detail.
Slime Moulds and allies
Slime Moulds were once considered to be fungi but are now classified in the completely different Kingdom of Protozoa. Taxonomy is complicated, and subject to review and change as the realtionships between individual species are established.
They begin life as tiny amoeba-like organisms which hunt for bacteria to eat. They mate to produce plasmodia which can grow to a large size feeding on micro-organisms. These slimy masses can move like giant amoeba. When food begins to wane, the plasmodium migrates to the surface and produces fruiting bodies (these are the fungi-like structures that we find). The plasmodia produce spores which hatch into amoebae to begin the life-cycle again.
Slime Mould identification is difficult so we ask that you seek confirmation of the species identity BEFORE submitting your record. The Facebook British Slime Moulds (Myxogastria) Group may be able to help.
Books:
Myxomycetes of the Forest: An exploration of the hidden world of the Myxomycetes, or Slime Moulds. John Holden, 2025. ISBN: 9781036907280
Ing, B (2020) The Myxomycetes of Britain and Ireland: An Identification Handbook (Richmond) is recommended; it includes keys and detailed information on species, A 2024 reprint published by the University of Chester is available.
