Fungus
Tropical Jelly Ear
Auricularia delicataAlso known as Reticulated Jelly Ear, Tropical Wood Ear
Tropical Jelly Ear forms translucent, rubbery, ear-shaped fruit bodies that feature a striking network of reticulated ridges on the underside. Found primarily in warm, humid regions, this saprotrophic fungus breaks down decaying hardwood logs and branches. During dry spells, the fruit bodies shrivel into thin, inconspicuous crusts, only to rehydrate and swell back to life after rainfall.
Jelly FungusTropicalDecomposer
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySaprotrophic (decomposing hardwood)
Predators
- Slugs
- Fungus Gnats
- Tenebrionid Beetles
ThreatsDeforestation and forest fragmentation
HabitatsTropical rainforests, humid subtropical woodlands
Life spanPersists multiple seasons; fruit bodies rehydrate repeatedly
Classification
- FamilyAuriculariaceae
- SpeciesAuricularia delicata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Many edible mushrooms have toxic look-alikes; never eat wild fungi based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
- Underside Inspection: Turn over the rubbery bracket to inspect the intricate, net-like ridges unique to this species.
- Hydration Effect: Search decaying logs shortly after heavy rains when the fruit bodies are fully expanded.
Close Relative Stu's Images / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) alessandradalia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by alessandradalia · cc-by-sa
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