Dwarf Mycostrum

The dwarf mycostrum evolved in response to their large and costly fruiting body. Instead of producing one large fruiting body, they will produce multiple smaller fruiting bodies. Dwarf mycostrum buds will often germinate in overnight mycostrum beds. From there, they grow in between the mycelia of the overnight mycostrum, waiting for their host to appear. When a mycostrum knightworm enters a patch of overnight mycostrum, the mycostrum knightworm will inevitably rub up against the fruiting bodies of the dwarf mycostrum. The sticky buds will then detach from the fruiting body and stick onto the mycostrum knightworm and germinate into a symbiote form shortly after.

The symbiote form is much smaller and lives longer than its free-living counterpart. It will feed upon the mycostrum knightworm’s perpetually growing exoskeleton as its host carries it to new mycostrum patches. The symbiote form produces even smaller fruiting bodies that double as buds. Upon reaching maturity, a symbiote fruiting body will detach from the parent plant and hopefully take root in a new patch of overnight mycostrum.