Minnesota Seasons - red raspberry slime mold

Photo by Kirk Nelson

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed


	Description
	Red raspberry slime mold fruiting body is a plump, pillow-shaped mass of tightly-packed, oblong, spore-producing structures (sporangia). Each sporangium is oblong, ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ (3 to 5 mm) high, and less 1 ⁄64″ (0.5 mm) wide. The mass (pseudoaethalium) has a knobby, raspberry-like surface and can be up to 6″ or more in length. It is held to the substrate by white stalk-like structures, but unlike fungi, it does not penetrate the substrate. It is pink to bright red when young, becoming purplish, then clay-brown, and finally brown at maturity. It is not edible.

	Similar Species



	Habitat and Hosts
	Rotted logs and moss


	Biology
	Season
	June through November


	Taxonomy
	Kingdom	Protozoa (protozoans)
	Phylum	Mycetozoa (slime molds)
	Class	Myxomycetes (true slime molds)
	Order	Liceales
	Family	Tubiferaceae
	Genus	Tubifera

	Tubifera ferruginosa is a species complex containing at least seven species; T. ferruginosa sensu stricto, T. applanata, T. corymbosa, T. dudkae, T. magna, T. montana and T. pseudomicrosperma.

	Subordinate Taxa
	red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa ssp. acutissima) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. albostipitata) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. complanata) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. ferruginosa) red raspberry slime mold (Tubifera ferruginosa var. subungulata)

	Synonyms
	Tubulifera arachnoidea

	Common Names
	red raspberry slime red raspberry slime mold

Glossary

Sporangium

A spore bearing structure, as of a fern, moss, or slime mold. Plural: sporangia.


	Visitor Photos

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	Babette Kis

	Red raspberry slime mold Tubifera … two photos of the same slime mold, taken 3 days apart.

	I don't usually notice the slime mold when it's changing from raspberry red to clay brown. Photos taken in the woods at Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.


	Karen Olson




	Alfredo Colon




	Kirk Nelson





	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

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	Tubifera ferruginosa patouch40

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	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	What Is This Red Raspberry Slime? Learn Your Land

	About Published on Jun 5, 2017 While walking through the woods, I discovered this red raspberry slime on a log. What is it, and what's it doing here? Check out the video to learn more! Follow Adam Haritan online here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learnyourland/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/learnyourland Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/learnyourland/ Store: http://wildfoodism.bigcartel.com/ Website: http://learnyourland.com/ Email newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/i/8F756D78F98F8632



	Tubifera ferruginosa sporangia development Daniel Brunner

	About Published on Oct 18, 2010 Time lapse video of the slime mold Tubifera ferruginosa developing a sporangium. Original time approx. 72 h



	Tubifera arachnoidea - 2016-04-17 Westdelta

	About Published on Apr 21, 2016 (Tubifera arachnoidea). Also known as: Tubifera ferruginosa, Tubulifera arachnoidea. Geo location: 52.04944 4.21445

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Visitor Sightings

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Karen Olson 8/30/2021	Location: Kramer Lake & Wildwood Park, Stearns County



Babette Kis 7/23/2020	Location: Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI. … two photos of the same slime mold, taken 3 days apart. I don't usually notice the slime mold when it's changing from raspberry red to clay brown. Photos taken in the woods at Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.



Babette Kis 7/20/2020	Location: Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI. … two photos of the same slime mold, taken 3 days apart. I don't usually notice the slime mold when it's changing from raspberry red to clay brown. Photos taken in the woods at Menomonee Falls Park, Waukesha Co., WI.



Alfredo Colon 7/29/2018	Location: Woodbury, Minnesota



Kirk Nelson 6/25/2018	Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park



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