if a mushroom is covered in bugs it’s probably edible. centipedes, fungus gnats, and slugs are all common on my outdoor beds.
there are a few edible fungi i don’t see bugs eat, like meatier varieties such as shiitake and saddle backs, but i have never seen bugs go after poisonous fungi
some bugs will eat psychedelic fungi just like some animals will. but there tends to be less predation with them.
I read somewhere this is how humans most likely learned what is good and bad to eat. Just need to see something else eating it and it’s most likely good.
i said probably and my point was made in the context of the meme. it wasn’t advice on safe foraging but an observation on how early humans may have made intelligent guesses before we had reliable guide books and the internet.
i grow mushrooms outside and do some foraging.
if a mushroom is covered in bugs it’s probably edible. centipedes, fungus gnats, and slugs are all common on my outdoor beds.
there are a few edible fungi i don’t see bugs eat, like meatier varieties such as shiitake and saddle backs, but i have never seen bugs go after poisonous fungi
some bugs will eat psychedelic fungi just like some animals will. but there tends to be less predation with them.
I read somewhere this is how humans most likely learned what is good and bad to eat. Just need to see something else eating it and it’s most likely good.
Except theres lots of berries birds can eat but we don’t
That still gives a better chance than nothing at all
your shiitake is not being eaten cuz it’s very far from native species in your area. I’m sure where it originally grows bugs feast on them non stop
that’s my thought too.
but saddle back are native here and edible and i rarely see predation
Uhm, flies go after fly agaric.
i have a friend that ate a lot of the stuff. i know it can be toxic at high doses but i would call it psychoactive more than poisonous.
also see my comment regarding some bugs like psychedelics (I’ve heard of slugs and racoons going after outdoor psilocybin beds)
And fly agaric isnt very poisonous, as long as it’s dehydrated
I’m also a forager and I think this is a very dangerous and irresponsible thing to say.
Please never rely on that advice if you ever go mushroom foraging. There is no short cut here.
i said probably and my point was made in the context of the meme. it wasn’t advice on safe foraging but an observation on how early humans may have made intelligent guesses before we had reliable guide books and the internet.