Flies

From last year: male Musca autumnalis (Diptera: Muscidae).

Photo taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, 2013-08-04.

Lichens

Two species of lichen growing on a tree trunk: Lecanora chlarotera and Lecidella elaeochroma.  For close-ups of these species see here.

It was several years ago that I noticed that lichen colonies on tree trunk tend to be elongated at right-angles to the length of the trunk.  Why this is so would make a good subject for discussion in a school science lesson.  I will leave it as an exercise for the reader.

Photo taken in Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK on 2013-11-30.

Fungus

Common earthball fungus, Scleroderma citrinum.

Photo taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, Uk, on 2014-09-27.

Another Wasp Spider

Another specimen of wasp spider, Argiope bruennichi,  somewhat smaller than the one I saw at the other end of the same field 10 days earlier.

Photo taken in the field below Chazey Wood, near Caversham, UK, on 2014-09-06.

Tachinid Fly

A Dexiosoma caninum (Diptera: Tachinidae).

Photo taken in the Wilderness, Whiteknights Park, Reading, UK, on 2014-09-21.