October 2021 – Warwickshire Wildlife/Nature

Please refer to the Introduction Page to understand the context behind the monthly photographs.

Trees

Oak leaf powdery mildew

Oak powdery mildew (Erysiphe alphitoides) A common disease on Oak plants affecting plants thoughout the summer. It causes leaves to shrivel and blacken.

Galls

Creeping Thistle plants with Galls

Creeping Thistle plants with several stem galls caused by the fruit fly Urophora cardu. This fly lays it eggs on the plant and as they hatch they burrow into the stem causing the plant to form the swollen stem galls. This gives the lavra protection until they mature and exit out of the base of the gall. Typically there are four chambers containing a single lavra in each.

Fungi

Pluteus aurantiorugosus

Yellow Field Cap (Bolbitius titubans)

Hare's Foot Inkcap (Coprinus lagopus)

Dryad's Saddle (Polyporus squamosus)

Pholiota adiposa

Glistening Ink Cap (Coprinus micaceus)

Conical Brittlestem mushroom (Psathyrella conopilus)

False Chanterelle (Hygrophoropsis aurantiaca)

Not Identified

Shaggy Ink Cap (Coprinus comatus)

Many-zoned Polypore (Coriolus versicolor)

Slime Moulds

Slime Mould Tubifera arachnoidea

Slime Mould Tubifera arachnoidea - Close up

Did anyone spot in the title of this slime mould "a-rach-no-idea". I have since checked further on-line sources and it still appear to be one of the names this slime mould goes by. Obviously someone has a sense of humour so will now use one of the other synonyms being Tubifera ferruginosa.

Lichen

Lichen are only recorded at each new OS Grid location (hover for Grid Ref). They are then entered on the British Lichen Society spreadsheet and submitted for their Warwickshire VC38 Lichen database and Lichen mapping.