Beetles and Moths in Fruit Bodies
PestsAct soon
Tiny tunnels or larvae in caps and gills, small beetles on the mushrooms, or webbing and grubs in dried or stored mushrooms.
Likely causes
- Adults laying eggs on caps in summer and autumn
- Storing dried mushrooms damp or warm
- Open growing areas without screens
What to do
Pick promptly, use fine mesh over openings, clean up old fruit bodies, and dry and store mushrooms completely dry. Fumigating or smoking the growing area is described in the handbook for moths, but prevention is more reliable.
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Sources
- Mushroom Growers' Handbook 2: Shiitake Cultivation (MushWorld, 2005; Spanish edition by CERZOS), chapter 5 'Pests of shiitake logs: fungus beetles and moths' (MushWorld). Pleasing fungus beetles (Erotylidae) feed on fruit bodies and are host-specific: Megalodacne feeds on Ganoderma, Triplax on oyster mushrooms and Dacne fungorum on shiitake; adults appear in summer and autumn and lay eggs about 3 mm under the cap surface, and the larvae tunnel in; the European grain moth (Nemapogon granellus) lays eggs on the gills and its larvae infest stored shiitake and overwinter in it.
Last updated: 2026-10-19