Twin earthballs opened

Earthballs Beyond DLSP Nature Trail, Nov 4, 11, 18, & 26 2010

Since Oct. 5, I've been tracking earthballs on an old road beyond the Nature Trail in Deer Lake State Park. See Oct. 19, 21, and 28.

On Nov. 4, I was glad to find the twin earthballs (discovered on Oct. 28) at these coordinates: 30°18'27.4" N 86°04'16.4" W. The tops were now opened (see photo above or photo from top with ruler). There seemed to be another one coming up. On Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 the twin tops are more open; otherwise, no change. On Nov. 26 I could not see them.

On all these days I saw the fully functioning earthball near the faint neighbor. Compare their progress on this page. Along the way I didn't see the mushroom condo or small burrows seen on Oct. 28. On Nov. 4 new fungi appeared, shown below, not found on Nov. 11.

       
Four earthballs breaking up and a mushroom on stem rising from hole

On Nov. 11, I saw the creatures in the first three photos shown below. Thanks to Nonie Maines, who identified the harvester ant, center, via Christy at the Biophilia Center. On Nov. 18, I saw a grasshopper hardly distinguishable from a live oak leaf (in the photo to the right). I saw new earthballs similar to the ones above.

     

On Nov. 28 I found this earthball on the Nature Trail to Deer Lake. Coordinates: 30° 18' 27.2" N, 86° 04' 34.4" W. On Dec. 2 I could not find it. On Jan. 27, 2011, I found one beside the path very near the same location and it was gone the next week.

 

I track progress each week. See Puffball Watch, 2010-2011.