This macabre mushroom mimics the scent of rotting meat to trick passing flies

Nature · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The cage fungus, or Clathrus ruber, uses a gruesome strategy to survive. By mimicking the odor of decaying carrion, it lures flies into its spongy, red-orange lattice. These insects inadvertently consume the fungus's sticky spores, acting as unwitting couriers that spread the organism's reproductive material far and wide.

The cage fungus, scientifically known as Clathrus ruber, is a type of stinkhorn mushroom that relies on a sophisticated form of biological mimicry. While the visible portion of the fungus is a striking, red-orange geodesic dome that can reach the size of a softball, this structure is merely the fruiting body. The majority of the organism exists underground as a vast network of thin threads called mycelium. This mycelium is saprobic, meaning it feeds on dead and dying wood by digesting cellulose, which helps return essential nutrients to the soil.

When environmental conditions are optimal, the mycelium produces an egg-like structure that emerges above ground. Once mature, a lattice-shaped receptacle bursts from this egg, revealing an interior coated in a sticky, gooey substance known as gleba. This gleba is the source of the mushroom's notorious reputation; it contains chemical compounds such as dimethyl sulfide, which produces an intense odor reminiscent of rotten eggs or decaying flesh. Naturalist Damon Tighe notes that the smell is so potent and sharp that it causes an immediate physical recoil in humans.

This fetid aroma is an evolutionary adaptation designed specifically to attract flies that typically feed on feces or carrion. As these insects land on the lattice to lap up the gleba, they ingest millions of microscopic spores. By moving from the mushroom to other locations, the flies effectively disperse the fungus's reproductive material across a wide area. This process mirrors the relationship between bees and flowers, though the cage fungus achieves its goal through a far more macabre and putrid mechanism, turning the natural decomposition cycle into a vehicle for its own propagation.

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