Thursday
Nov292012

Spider

A small spider, probably a female Neriene clathrata (Araneae: Linyphiidae).

Photo taken in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2012-11-13.

Wednesday
Nov282012

Hoverfly

From back in summer: a female Pipiza sp, possibly Pipiza noctiluca (Diptera: Syrphidae).

Photo taken in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2012-08-12.

Tuesday
Nov272012

Tephritid Fly

A female Tephritis formosa (Diptera: Tephritidae).  The host plants for their larvae are sow-thistles (Sonchus sp).  Mid-November seems rather late in the season for Tephtitid flies to be out and about.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2012-11-14.

Monday
Nov262012

Fungus

From way back in 2001: dryad's saddle fungus, Polyporus squamosus, growing on a tree stump.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK on 2001-04-22.

Sunday
Nov252012

Bracket Fungus

A bracket fungus, probably Heterobasidion annosum, growing on the stump of what I think was a birch tree (Betula sp). 

I took a small sample from the edge to examine with a magnifier at home.  It showed 2 to 3 pores per mm on the underside.  The pore tubes were about 5mm long.  Under x600 on the microscope I was unable to find any clamp connections. These details are consistent with the fungus being H. annosum.

[Note added 2012-12-24: I managed to get some spores from a small sample of this fungus.  These spores were about 10 x 8um.  This is too large for H. annosum.  It is more likely a Ganoderma sp, maybe Ganoderma resinaceum.]

Photos taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2012-11-22.