A ‘bodysnatching fungi’ is terrorising the lawns of Haddo House in Aberdeenshire, according to the National Trust for Scotland. If you were to ask me what my least favourite words in the English language might be, I would likely respond with ‘bodysnatching’ and ‘fungus’, but according to the charity, the presence of the ‘Strathy Strangler’ ( Squamanita pearsonii ) is actually a good thing, as Haddo House is one of the nation’s premiere fungi habitats.

The repulsive and voracious mycelial predator is known to frequent the lawns, where it feasts upon its host the Earthy Powdercap ( Cystoderma amianthinum ). It infiltrates its victim through an underground system of threads called hyphae, and slowly takes over its body, growing up its stem, and sucking out all of the nutrients. This is a

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