80 Fungi Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Fungi trivia examines mushrooms, molds, plant pathogens, human uses, taxonomy, and the remarkable roles fungi play in ecosystems and food production. Questions range from edible morels and the split gill mushroom to turkey tail, birch polypore, and the fungus used to make Quorn mycoprotein. The set also reaches beyond mushrooms, covering coffee leaf rust, red yeast rice, and the eukaryotic supergroup that includes animals and fungi.
This hub is well suited to biology classrooms, science clubs, nature enthusiasts, pub quizzes, and game nights for curious players. Some questions are approachable through common names, while others reward knowledge of genera, fungal diseases, fermentation, evolutionary relationships, and the archaeological evidence associated with Ötzi the Iceman.
Which fungus is commonly known as the split gill mushroom?
Answer
Schizophyllum commune
Which fungus is traditionally used to make red yeast rice?
Answer
Monascus purpureus
Which mushroom is commonly known as turkey tail?
Answer
Trametes versicolor
Which fungus causes coffee leaf rust, a major disease of coffee plants?
Answer
Hemileia vastatrix
Which filamentous fungus is used to make Quorn mycoprotein?
Answer
Fusarium venenatum
Which supergroup of eukaryotes includes both animals and fungi?
Answer
Opisthokonta
Which mushroom did Ötzi the Iceman carry and is also known as the birch polypore?
Answer
Fomitopsis betulina
Which fungus is cultivated by leafcutter ants as their main food crop?
Answer
Leucoagaricus gongylophorus
Which mushroom is the only species in the genus Volvariella widely cultivated for food?
Answer
Straw mushroom
Which fission yeast species is a major model organism in cell biology?
Answer
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
What genus includes baker's yeast and many other budding yeasts?
Answer
Saccharomyces
What club-shaped cell produces basidiospores in Basidiomycota?
Answer
Basidium
What edible mushroom is also called wood ear because of its ear-like shape?
Answer
Auricularia auricula-judae
Which fungal pathogen causes Panama disease in banana plants?
Answer
Fusarium oxysporum
Which fungus is used as a model organism in studies of circadian rhythms?
Answer
Neurospora crassa
Which fungus is famous for manipulating carpenter ants before killing them?
Answer
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
Which fungus causes gray mold disease on grapes and many other plants?
Answer
Botrytis cinerea
What common mushroom is known as the king bolete or porcini?
Answer
Boletus edulis
Which mushroom is commonly called hen-of-the-woods?
Answer
Grifola frondosa
Which yeast species is commonly used in lager beer fermentation?
Answer
Saccharomyces pastorianus
Which genus of molds is best known for producing aflatoxins?
Answer
Aspergillus
Which fungus is commonly called the caterpillar fungus?
Answer
Ophiocordyceps sinensis
Which fungus is the main causal agent of wheat stem rust?
Answer
Puccinia graminis
Which fungus causes corn smut, forming edible galls called huitlacoche?
Answer
Ustilago maydis
What fungus is commonly known as black bread mold?
Answer
Rhizopus stolonifer
What is the common name of Pleurotus ostreatus?
Answer
Oyster mushroom
Which phylum of fungi includes mushrooms, puffballs, and bracket fungi?
Answer
Basidiomycota
What substance forms the tough cell walls of most fungi?
Answer
Chitin
What is the scientific name of the rare white truffle from Italy?
Answer
Tuber magnatum
What is the species name of the ergot fungus used to produce the drug ergotamine?
Answer
Claviceps purpurea
Which fungus causes oak wilt disease?
Answer
Bretziella fagacearum
Which fungus causes powdery mildew in grapevines?
Answer
Erysiphe necator
What group of fungi causes ringworm infections in humans?
Answer
dermatophytes
Fungi trivia — quick answers
What are good fungi trivia questions?
Good fungi trivia questions cover mushroom identification, food production, plant diseases, taxonomy, ecology, and history. Examples include identifying the genus of morels, the split gill mushroom, turkey tail, the fungus behind coffee leaf rust, and the birch polypore carried by Ötzi the Iceman.
How hard is fungi trivia?
Fungi trivia is usually intermediate to advanced because it combines familiar mushroom names with scientific classification, industrial uses, diseases, and evolutionary biology. A mixed group can participate, but questions about genera, supergroups, and specialized fungi may challenge players without biology experience.
What genus do morels belong to?
Morels belong to the genus Morchella. They are prized edible fungi recognized by their distinctive honeycomb-like caps. Morel species occur in many regions and are commonly associated with woodland habitats, though identification should be left to trained experts because edible and toxic fungi can be confused.
Which fungus is used to make Quorn mycoprotein?
Quorn mycoprotein is made from Fusarium venenatum, a filamentous fungus. The fungus is grown by fermentation, and its biomass is processed into a protein-rich food ingredient used in meat-substitute products.
Which mushroom did Ötzi the Iceman carry?
Ötzi the Iceman carried birch polypore, a fungus also known as Fomes fomentarius. The discovery is notable because the mushroom may have been useful for tinder or medicinal purposes, giving researchers evidence about materials carried by people in the Copper Age.