Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Arcyria denudata) sporangia. New Forest National Park, England, UK. November. Focus stacked image.

SINCLAIR STAMMERS / Acellular Slime Mould, 'Many headed slime' (Physarum polycephalum) inhabits shady, cool, moist areas, such as decaying leaves and logs

Robert Thompson / Red raspberry slime mould (Tubifera ferruginosa) growing on a log, Gosford Forest Park, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. September.

Robert Thompson / Red raspberry slime mould (Tubifera ferruginosa) growing on a log, Gosford Forest Park, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. September.

Nick Upton / Dog vomit slime mould (Fuligo septica) on vegetation in stable dune grassland, Merthyr Mawr Warren NNR, Wales, UK, October.

Nick Upton / Dog vomit slime mould (Fuligo septica) on vegetation in stable dune grassland, Merthyr Mawr Warren NNR, Wales, UK, October.

Guy Edwardes / Mature Slime mould (Trichia decipiens) sporangia releasing spores, Uplyme, Devon, UK, February.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Stemonitis flavogenita), sporangia, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. October.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Stemonitopsis typhina) sporangia . May.

Guy Edwardes / Raspberry slime mould (Tubifera ferruginosa), New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. October.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Stemonitis flavogenita) slime mould at plasmodium stage, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. October.

Guy Edwardes / Carnival candy slime mould (Arcyria denudata), Close-up showing fruiting bodies . April.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Ceratiomyxa fructiculosa), Zakopane, Poland. September.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Leocarpus fragilis), fully developed sporangia on grass, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK. September.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Leocarpus fragilis), fully developed sporangia on grass, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, UK. September.

Guy Edwardes / Slime mould (Metatrichia floriformis) with sporangia bearing spores, New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England, UK. March.

Alex Hyde / Slime mould (Tubifera ferruginosa) on decaying log. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. September.

Alex Hyde / Wolf's Milk (Lycogala epidendrum) slime mould. Highlands, Scotland, UK. October.

Alex Hyde / Eggs of Salmon slime mould (Trichia decipiens) fruiting bodies on moss-covered decaying tree trunk. Highlands, Scotland, UK. October.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Comatricha lurida) super close-up image of 2mm sporangia well developed with peridium breaking open, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March - Focus stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Didyium karstensii) three tiny sporangia on a holly leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, January Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Didymium squamulosum) fully developed sporangia along the edge of a beech leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, January Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Comatricha elegans) 1/2mm tall sporangia forming on a tiny piece of woodchip, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) growing on tiny twig held in hand to show scale, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) growing on tiny twig held in hand to show scale, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Comatricha lurida) 2mm tall sporangia growing on the surface of a leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March - Focus stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Comatricha lurida) 2mm tall sporangia growing along the edge of a rotting beech leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March - Focus stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime moulds (Didymium squamulosum and Lamproderma scintillans) a pair of didymium squamulosum growing either side of Lamproderma scintillans on the edge of a holly leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK,...

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Diderma umbilicatum) single sporangia growing on beech leaf stalk, Hertfordshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Wood ant (Formica rufa) Lamproderma scintillans) wood ant in front of beech leaf covered in Lamproderma scintillans slime moulds showing scale, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia on beech leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, January- Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) sporangia growing along the edge of a beech leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, January- Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, one showing peridium breaking open to reveal capillitium and spore mass inside, Buckinghamshire, England, UK.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia on a beech leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, February Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Metatrichia floriformis) pair of sporangia close up, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, January Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould Plasmodium (Unknown species) small plasmodium searching for food on rotting leaf, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, January Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Craterium minutum) tiny sporangia in various stages of development on tiny twig, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) group of sporangia beginning to mature and develop the iridescent peridium, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) super close up of 1mm tall sporangia, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Lamproderma scintillans) sporangia developing on beech leaf demonstrating their hydrophobic peridium, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Didymium squamulosum) new sporangia beginning to develop on leaf edge with mite, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, February Focus Stacked.

Andy Sands / Slime mould (Comatricha lurida) close up of single 2mm tall sporangia with moisture droplets, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, March - Focus stacked.

Mateusz Piesiak / Dead man's fingers fungus (Xylaria polymorpha) in autumn forest. Barycz Valley Landscape Park, Poland, November.