Trumpington Meadows Monday 9th March

I visited Trumpington Meadows on Monday on a cool cloudy day so no high expectations of insect activity but some interesting finds in the woodland areas and great to see cowslips already in full bloom in places. Usual ID sheet at end - the beetle larva keyed out as a Rose Chafer but will need to check this one - found in nearby site so possible.

Unusually Warm Day Encourages Garden Minilife

Unusually warm today - 18degrees at midday with very little wind brought out  a lot of insects, spiders etc including this Beetle Larva, Harlequin ladybird and various other insects. Spiders were also on the move and I think the white 'mushrooms' are spiders egg sacs. Even a small Geometrid caterpillar feeding on the Knapweed.

 

Toft Logs - Minifungi etc

Today was the first day for a while that the garden log pile was thawed enough to see what new minilife had errupted. The first 4 images are small fungal species, tentatively identified as Episphaeria fraxinicola, Henningsomyces candidus and Mollisia cinerea (Grey Disco). The Slimemould is a Hemitrichia species and the final image shows a Beetle larva on an Orange Jelly fungus.