View allAll Photos Tagged Substrate
This unidentified caterpillar which feeds on epiphytic moss, is camouflaged to look like its preferred substrate. Arfak Mountains, West Papua, Indonesia (New Guinea).
Came across a LOAD of these growing on substrate, various stages, and sizes. Can't trace them in any of the fungi books. Any ideas?
UPDATE, thanks to Mike Taylor for suggestion on ID, but pretty sure Ash Watson is correct with REDLEAD ROUNDHEAD.
Wikipedia lists five types of Caterpillar social behaviour: Collective and cooperative foraging, group defence against predators, shelter building, thermoregulation and lastly substrate silking.
This clump were totally static while I photographed them. So maybe it's thermoregulation (i.e. collectively preserving heat/energy) or group defence.
If group defence (which was my theory) I'd prefer to be on the inside, thank you. Come to think of it, it's very cold tonight, so both ways, better to be on the inside.
Interestingly I learned elsewhere that caterpillars have been recorded walking in layers, three or four deep. In other words, they're able to create their own airport travelator effect. Two layers, and the average speed will be around 1.5x of a single head-to-tail layer. Three layers can yield an average speed of around double that of a single layer.
Hope they all become beautiful butterflies soon.
Military Orchids / orchis militaris. Homefield Wood, Buckinghamshire. 01/06/18.
'ANTHROPOMORPHISING AT ITS BEST!'
Rather a stately group of Military Orchids and in fine, fresh condition. I would guess that the three larger spikes were at least 40cms tall.
Each of the flowers is likened to a small soldier complete with arms, short stumpy legs and rows of tunic buttons running up his chest. Three sepals above the 'body' hide the petals below and create the soldiers helmet. This is wider and rounded at the back and narrower, with points at the front. The exterior is noticeably paler - either white or a very delicate pink with few, if any, markings. By contrast, the interior of the helmet is darker with striking purple stripes.
(When the image is viewed large, the contrasts show up more clearly.)
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Puidu-sametkõrges + sarvjas süsik.
Talvijuurekas + haarasarvisieni.
Substrate: Salix.
Vikipalu, Harjumaa.
Came across a LOAD of these growing on substrate, various stages, and sizes. Can't trace them in any of the fungi books. Any ideas?
One flower is open and there are another four buds.
Cultivated in SGK = substrate glass culture.
It smells very nice.
Large ice crystals on frozen smooth substrate. The recent artic blast is almost over for the time being.
Common name: None
Found: Native forest
Substrate: Wood
Spore: BrownHeight: 70 mm
Width: 30 mm
Season: Autumn
Edible: No