Slime Mould

Slime mould Fuligo septica growing on Stereum fungus on a decaying log.

Photo taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2010-08-15.

Tachinid Fly

A Tachinid fly, probably a female Eurithia sp (Diptera: Tachinidae).  Identification suggested by Chris Raper here at Diptera.info. (Originally I had this down as a Pales pavida)

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2010-08-15.

Slime Mould versus Fungus

A yellow slime mould (top left) growing on the pink and orange coloured fungus Phlebia radiata.  Over a period of a week or so the slime mould slowly covered all of the fungus, seeming to digest it, eventually leaving just a dark slimy mess behind.

Photo taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 201

Whitewash Fungus

Elder whitewash fungus (Hyphodontia sambuci) growing on the trunk of an elder tree (Sambucus nigra). Being just a thin white featureless coating, this is one of the more boring fungi to photograph.  Here is a close-up of it growing on some twigs:

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading University grounds, Reading, UK, on 2012-01-28.

Sawfly

A sawfly, probably a Tenthredo sp (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae),  feeding on hogweed flowers.  There are several Tenthredo species like this in the UK (T. notha, T. arcuata, T. brevicornis) but they are difficult to separate on the basis of photographs (see this discussion), so I will not attempt to take the identification any further.

Photo taken in Barnard Castle, County Durham, Uk, on 2010-08-07.