Identification: Please help me identify this unusual fungus

Greetigs all,

Can you please help me identify a fungus (or mushroom) that I've seen only twice. I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia and recently saw this particular fungus for the second time. If I had to name it, I would call it Cathedral fungus. It looks like a typical cathedral, has arches and is hollow. It possibly has 4 "columns" that meet at the top. In other words you can see through it. Kind of like a bell tower on top of a church. I believe it uses a scent to attract insects since the one I saw today was covered inside and out with small flies. I've only seen it in mulched beds. The one I saw today was about 3 inches above the mulch. Any help in identification would be helpful. If you can help identify this fungus please email me your answer to: Saltwaterfishin@aol.com

Thank you,

Jay

 

Look at these threads...
http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/search.php?searchid=138861

 

Tipularia - that search link doesn't work (it's because every time the search engine on-site is reindexed, that URL will change).

My suggestion is to type in the search term you intended for the original poster to search for, then surround it with the SEARCH tags (or swipe and click on the UBC BG logo mini-icon in the editor, which will add them automatically)

e.g.:

PHP:

[SEARCH]mushroom[/SEARCH]

yields [SEARCH]mushroom[/SEARCH]

 

Thanks!
Sounds like a cage fungi such as a Clathrus. Here is a key to them and some information. KEY

 

Thanks to all who have helped me to identify this mushroom. With your help and some extra research on the internet I've decided that what I saw was Clathrus columnatus.

I want to compliment this web site for being informative and helpful and will continue to visit.

Thanks again,

Jay