Down the Lane 04/08/2017

Had a quick walk down the lane yesterday afternoon, looking at leaves and plants on the way but I'll start with a couple of fungi.

I've seen this one down the lane several times before, but usually just one or two - yesterday there were at least 20 growing on the shady side underneath the hedgerow.

Shaggy Parasol - not yet ready to open up into a parasol.

This one is different though, some sort off puffball but I think I'll need to see how it develops before I can try and ID it. Looks like it will be quite big though .....

'puffball'

I also found a garden-escape that I've not seen down the lane before, some sort of Monbretia - quite a bit paler and yellower than my garden variety.

Garish amongst the grasses and nettles.

I found a few beetles and bugs, including loads of Altica lythri and Dicyphus epilobii on Great Willowherb, Lochmaea crataegi and Daerocoris ruber.

Searching plants produced a number of galls that I need to work through, and a number of mines on hawthorn. I think I've worked them out but I'm awaiting comments from others before posting. Meanwhile checking any Prickly Lettuce plant produced Small Ranunculus larvae, some quite big now so I collected a couple to rear through.

And remember that Comma caterpillar I found, it unexpectedly pupated so I'll need to find a way to hang it up in a suitable location. But how does nature produce bling like the shining silvery panels on the chrysalis!