unstiped sporangia with non-cellular stems, but can also appear as veined or netted plasmodiocarps, pincushion-shaped aethaliae or seemingly pincushion-shaped pseudo-aethaliae. The fruit bodies almost always have a hypothallus on the edge. The abundantly produced spores are stored in a reticular or filamentous structure – the so-called capillitium – and are found on nearly all species except Liceida and other species from the genus Echinostelium. When the open fruit bodies have dried, the spores are dispersed by wind or by small animals such as woodlice, mites or beetles, which either pick up the spores through contact with the fruit bodies or ingest and then excrete them. Dispersal by running water is also possible, but it plays a minor role. Asexual forms Some Myxogastria species may produce asexually. These are continuously diploid. There is no meiosis before the germination of the spores and the production of the plasmodium proceeds without germination of two cells. Distribution and ecology Distribution Myxogastria are distributed worldwide; species were found by early researchers on all continents. However, as many parts of the world were yet not discovered or explored, the exact distribution is not fully known. Europe and North America are often considered the basic habitat of the Myxogastria species. According to recent research, the majority of species are not widely distributed. The Myxogastria are most commonly found in temperate latitudes, and rarely in the polar regions, the subtropics or tropics. The physical features of the substrate and climatic conditions are the major aspects of the species' presence. Endemism is rare. In the northern areas, the species can be found in Alaska, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Greenland and Russia. These are not only particular, specialised species; according to an overview study, more than 150 species were found in the arctic and subarctic regions of Iceland, Greenland, northern Russia and Alaska. These distinctly exceed the tree line. In Greenland, the habitat may reach the 77th latitude line. The Myxogastria species reach their largest biodiversity and highest frequency in forests of temperate regions, which are ideal habitats because of the amount of rich organic material, suitable humidity (not too high) and long-lasting snow cover for snow-inhabiting species. Few Myxogastria species are found in the tropics and subtropics, mainly because of the high humidity which prevents the necessary dehydration of the fruit bodies to permit spore dispersal and promotes infestation by moulds. Other factors are low light levels under the forest