What are those beautiful neon pink slime balls in the Maine woods?

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 17, 2026

I’ve been wandering the Maine woods since I was a little girl. I’ve become familiar with its flora and fauna. Yet the wilderness keeps surprising me with things I’ve never seen before — like neon pink slime mold. Slime molds aren’t fungi or lichens. They’re single-celled organisms that move around, similar to an amoeba. At that stage, they’re too small for people to see. But sometimes, they congregate to form threads and fruiting bodies that resemble mushrooms. Slime molds play an important role in the ecosystem. Often found on decaying forest litter and rotting wood, they serve as decomposers and recycle nutrients. They feed on bacteria, which decomposes plant matter. They also serve as food for worms, beetles and other creepy crawlies. Slime molds don’t have brains, but they can communicate with chemical signals.