Another Bee Fly

My first Bombylius discolor (Diptera, Bombyliidae), a male.

Compared to the commoner B. major, the body of this species is larger (15mm, excluding proboscis, as against 12mm) and has a black tail-end:

But the main distinguishing feature is the spotted wings:

This specimen also had a forked proboscis:

Specimen taken in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2014-03-30.

Bee Fly

A female bee fly, Bombylius major (Diptera: Bombyliidae).

Photos taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-03-29.

Blowfly

A female Calliphora vomitoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Here is the wing pattern:

This is a close-up of the head showing the yellow beard:

This is a slightly different focus showing the plumose (feather-like) arista on the antennae.

Specimen taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-03-08.

Brown Crust Fungus

A brown crust fungus, probably an immature specimen of Hypoxylon petriniae, growing on a fallen ash branch (Fraxinus excelsior).  The lack of any obvious ostioles is what makes me think this is an immature specimen. I used a razor blade to reveal the perithecia in one corner.  These seemed to relatively small and poorly developed:

Last month I came across what I think was a mature specimen of the same species growing on the same ash branch.  I still had that specimen so I took another look at it, this time through my new stereo microscope with camera. The following image clearly shows the light spots surrounding the ostioles on that specimen:

Close up the ostioles are obvious:

Again I used a razor blade to scrape of the surface to reveal the perithecia.  These are clearly larger than those in the immature specimen above:

Both specimens taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK; the immature one on 2014-03-15, the mature one on 2014-02-09.

Pyrenomycete Fungus

A pyrenomycete fungus, possibly Nemania serpens, growing on a fallen branch from an ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior).  This patch was about 10 x 7mm.

I used a razor blade to slice off the upper surface revealing the perithecia:

And this is a vertical section:

Specimens take in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2014-03-16.