Slime Moulds in Toft Leaf and Log Piles

Amazed at the number of slime moulds that have erupted on the leaves and stalks in my compost area while the logs continue to fruit further specimens. The first three are Didymium squamulosum and the next two Comatrichia species but, the others I need help identifying especially the white lumpy fruiting bodies (now identified as young Didymium squamulosum) and the final species with Collembolids (ID Arcyria spp).

Life on Toft Logs

Though more or less confined to home by the aftermath of a Christmas Bug, I did manage a walk to the old railway track in Toft to gather a log or two for slime moulds etc which I photographed back at base. I think the first three are all stages of Hemitrichia spp but was excited by the very small black shiny balls thinking a new species of mould but turns out they are a ?mite species. There was also one very active Ichneumon which I am sure is Ophion obscuratus,the Cream-striped Darwin Wasp which does not hibernate in the winter, instead, it disappears for a few months in the late spring and early summer. The female lays her eggs inside the caterpillars of different species of nocturnal moths. The green coloration of the oak log is a funal infection and I collected a piece of coal from the track to see if it had any moulds - negative so far (Oxford Cambridge line ran steam trains from 1860s to 1940s through Toft)

Paxton Stump Revisited

Another hour spent photographing the fungi and slime moulds etc growing on the large Willow stump at Paxton. Many of the Fenugreek Stalkballs have matured and are spreading spores while new fruiting bodies are appearing in other cracks. The yellow Actinia Slime moulds have also matured and burst open. The spiral basket structure is the seed of the Bur Clover Medicago polymorpha which cover the Redlands area of Paxton last year (though not identified as such) but was absent this. The info suggests it can be Annual or Biennial so will see what happens in 2025. The crusty growth I think is Steccherinum ochraceum Ochre spreading tooth but will have to keep an eye on this one. No IDs on the last two yet!

Miniature Life in a Log Pile

It has taken a couple of days to process these images taken in one of the log piles in my garden - focus-stacked images with 60mm lens plus 26mm extension rings and natural light. The possible IDs are Trichia varia for the first and Hemitrichia spp for second - I need to photograph older stages to be sure according to expert advice. I like the orange peel surface on the first. The next six are various slime moulds (I think) and then a couple of fungi species (Henningsomyces candidus and ?), , finishing with an incredible spider sac with mesh bag - not yet identified to species but so intricate and colourful. 

 

Slime Moulds and Mini Fungi

I was studying one of the several piles of logs and cut wood in the garden that I keep for invertebrates and fungi and found these slime moulds and mini fungi. The first two are a slime mould, Comatricha (nigra) and the next two an intriguing fungus,  Henningsomyces candidus. Next a yellow slime mould plasmodium and ?Jelly fungus followed by two stages of fungus, Hypoxylon ?howeanum. Finally what I started photographing a Woodlouse!! 

Mini Fungi etc at Paxton

Looking on wet logs etc revealed quite a few small fungi species at Paxton today, lots of Collembolids scurrying around and one possible slime mould of a leaf stem (very very small subject!!) plus a yellow slime mould mycelium on a wet log.