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robyaxley.bsky.social
Naturalist: lichens, moths, beetles, bugs and anything else that catches my eye. “What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.”
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A very fine mature tulip tree was a feature of today’s site survey.

1,000 moth species in my tiny, un-special garden since Aug 2014! #TeamMoth milestone reached thanks to these three Tortricidae this month: 998: Endothenia marginana (Bordered Marble) 999: Pseudococcyx posticana (Dark Pine Shoot Moth) 1,000: Ancylis mitterbacheriana (Amber Hook-wing) #NorfolkMoths

Some green stuff from today’s excursion with Norfolk Flora Group. Soft Shield Fern, Sweet Woodruff and Thujopsis dolabrata (Japanese Hiba).

Some cool beetles from today - Hazel Leaf-roller, Rhagium mordax and Elaphrus cupreus.

My Leatherbug is more Denticulate than your Leatherbug.

The largest UK cranefly, Tipula maxima, was a nice surprise near the light trap this morning. I do enjoy a good cranefly.

Always a pleasure to come across a Golden-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta) nest! This is one of 3 UK bee species to nest in empty snail shells. A female had just finished pasting leaf mastic over the entrance to the shell when I came across her yesterday at Porth Neigwl. #SolitaryBeeWeek

The cranefly Ptychoptera contaminata on an Iris petal. Spectacular size difference - female above, male below.

Gyalecta jenensis, on the shaded wooded limestone Quarries in the steep Scarp woodland of Stanley & Penn woods this weekend,lovely brown thallus and splendid abundant Orange Apothecia.

Is this your doing @comicterns.bsky.social ?

Brown argus and slow worm behaving nicely early on this morning. Pirri pirri bur not so welcome.

Marsh stitchwort at East Walton Common yesterday. #wildflowerhour

Vacancy | Assistant Warden, WWT Welney We are looking for a proactive individual with a passion for British wildlife to join the flock. The role is very varied including surveying, habitat management, livestock checks, guided walks Closing date: 30 May 2025 More info 👉 bit.ly/3F7DAdV

A patch of licheny material on a mossy brick wall in my garden looks to be Vezdaea leprosa, with tiny loosely organised apothecia and long squirly paraphyses. 1st occurrence in VC28.

Interesting link to article about different perceptions of lichen interactions with building stone

A very small patch of Opegrapha areniseda on Cromer church yesterday, and some very fancy flint knapping!

@suffolkseawatcher.bsky.social this is right up your ally! #Anas

Here’s that Puss Moth photo you wanted.

A few of the 35 cockchafers in the trap this morning. Absolute units.

Platrhinus resinosus, the Cramp-ball Fungus Weevil, must be having a population boom at the moment with Ash dieback creating lots of opportunity for its host fungus.

More Dryad’s Saddle, but this time accompanied by the beetles Diaperis boleti and Dacne bipustulata.

Marpissa muscosa is pretty big for a jumping spider. There were several individuals on this dead oak.

Out of Norfolk for a day or two, in the exotic surroundings of South Cambs. I came across this Ischnomera cyanea on a tree trunk, which is nice cuz there aren’t many records from Norfolk.

Dryad’s Saddle looking a) slightly odd, b) pretty cool.

Netted Pug (Eupithecia venosata) - North Antrim, May 2025. Three of these beautiful pugs last night on the local cliffs. A scarce moth in Ireland but one I get most years. #nettedpug #mothsmatter #teammoth @ulsterwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @europebutterfly.bsky.social

While overseeing a roof strip today, I noticed that there was an unusual lichen on the pan tiles. Turns out to be Stereocaulon vesuvianum, a predominantly western UK species of acid stone. Only a few previous county records, from disused railways.

A worrying pattern from Labour of just making stuff up. They didn't do an impact assessment before putting the axe to the NHS. www.theguardian.com/society/2025... They don't have anything to back up their claim that environmental legislation blocks building. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

1/3 🧵 As we appropriately say in Britain, Stone the Crows Turns out the war on bats & newts our current Govt has rhetorically engaged in is all made up Maybe they've been listening to developers who just don't like the annoying job of looking after wildlife www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Don't take it from me. Take it from the government's own assessment: Everything Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have said about nature protection blocking house building is big fat shining lie. A lie now being locked into legislation before Parliament. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Think it's time the gov backtracked on this dreadful developer's charter. #TrashForCash www.theguardian.com/environment/...

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

A Nematopogon swammerdamella (Large Longhorn) on oak bark in the garden earlier.

Lumpy non-pruinose areoles with pruinose apothecia - 1-septate spores. My tentative conclusion was Lecania rabenhorstii (with a bit of Diplotomma amongst it). #LichenGBI

A couple of gravestone invertebrates today. Pine cone bug (Gastrodes grossipes) and Dasysyrphus albostriatus - a hoverfly. Both new to me.

This burial cross held the most amazing population of the pinhead lichen Chaenotheca ferruginea with thousands of fruiting bodies. Walsingham.

Parmelina tiliacea has brown tipped isidia spread over the even grey lobes. There are only 2 previous county records, but it was frequent on gravestone tops at Walsingham today. Nice!

Purple Milk-vetch and Rare Spring Sedge from the Brecks the other day. #wildflowerhour

Moths on tree trunks today at Blickling Park: Psyche casta (common bagworm) larva, Taleporia tubulosa (brown bagworm) case, Phyllonorycter harrisella (white oak midget) and Phyllonorycter maestingella (beech midget).