The weather and lockdown have limited activity considerably, but I have managed a few things such as second records for Raasay for Cupressus lawsoniana (Lawson’s Cypress) and Olearia macrodonta (New Zealand Holly), the former planted, the latter looking self-sown.
Yesterday the gorse near the shore yielded a spider, Metellina sp.
Metellina sp.
and several types of fly:
A window gnat. Sylvicola sp. probably S.cinctus
If it hadn’t escaped I could have got it to species as Seth pointed me towards a relatively simple key to the four British species. Also, there were a couple of Black Flies (I’m not tackling them), a common seaweed fly Coelopa frigida, though not so common in January, and a Heteromyza, possibly H. commixta but perhaps H. rotundicornis – it may be possible to sort this out with expert help. Later: confirmed as H. commixta.
Black Fly, Seaweed or Kelp Fly, Heteromya
Thanks to Seth (flies) and Katie (spider) for identifaction.
James Merryweather posts videos on YouTube under the AuchtertyreAcademy imprint that may be of interest e.g.
BLUEBELL deconstructing the English Jacinth. Part 1: Identity BLUEBELL deconstructing the English Jacinth. Part 2: Life History BRAINWAVE OR PIPEDREAM? will tree planting save us from climate change? CHRISTMAS TREES IN SCOTLAND? GETTING TO KNOW BRITAIN’S FERNS GORSE: NURSERY FOR WOODLAND an ecological process vs destructive management IS IT A FERN? (part1) IS IT A FERN? (part 2) Now I can tell that’s not a fern, but . . . MALE & BUCKLER FERNS MADE LESS DIFFICULT MODERN FORESTRY PART 1 PICKING UP A CRAB
Two new moths have taken my total for adult moths here to 199 species:
December Moth
Scarce Umber
There are fungi everywhere at the moment, but two pink ones in the garden recently are Coral Spot (Nectria cinnabarina)and Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda), both common enough generally but with rather few records locally. (None in VC104 on NBN for the latter.)
Nectria cinnabarina
Lepista nuda
Coral Spot and Wood Blewit
Meanwhile, it is looking more likely that the bramble in the last post is in fact Rubus subinermoides as determined by Alan Newton when he stayed with me in 2007, though I am waiting for a view on the pink petals.
It turns out that the bramble Rubus subinermoides recorded on Raasay and elsewhere in Scotland may in fact be different from R. subinermoides in England where the type species was first recorded. Amongst other things the large pink petals aren’t right. Those more skilled than I in batology will sort this out – it may be that a new microspecies will be recognised.
These pictures are from one of these plants on my drive yesterday:
Rubus subinermoides – not
I also spotted a single tree of Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple) in Inverarish. It was planted maybe a decade ago and is doing well, though last weekend’s storm did some damage.
An excursion to Skye meant I happened across Tropaeolum speciosum (Flame Nasturtium) sprawling over gorse near Lynedale.
Tropaeolum speciosumTropaeolum speciosum
This is a first for VC104, the sixth this year and, like most of the others, not a native.
Here at home, a caterpillar climbing up the outside wall of the house unexpectedly turned out to be that of a Small White butterfly. Green-veined Whites occur in huge numbers, but I have never recorded an adult Small White. Phil had some freshly-emerged adults in Sleat earlier in the year, so they are clearly now breeding locally.
The total number of moth species I have recorded at home as adults has reached 197. New this month have been Feathered Thorn, Green-brindled Crescent, Large Wainscot and November/Autumnal Moth. The last was an Epirrita species which often need dissection to distinguish Autumnal, Movember and Pale November Moths. This was one such.
Solanum nigrum (Black Nightshade) has been recorded at Cleadale on Eigg – a first for VC104.
Solanum nigrum on Eigg Image Neil Robertson
There are recent records from islands to the south, outside my patch – Coll and Colonsay.
Nick has found one or two more locations for Ulex gallii (Western Gorse) – one needs checking as only spotted from a moving vehicle.
In Kilmore, Sleat, I found a churchyard full of flowering Hieracium (Hawkweed). I would suggest that it had been mown and then flowered late, but across the road in very rough ground there were one or two specimens of the same plant, also flowering. I have sent a specimen away for determination.
Hawkweeds in October
Later: David McCosh says, “Your plant cannot be identified to species. There are many plants occurring throughout the UK which are currently undescribed and are known collectively and informally as H. exotericum agg. They share certain characters such as having a rosette, usually 0-1 cauline leaf, and predominantly glandular peduncles and phyllaries. S & M warn that all plants akin to these are plastic in their growth and should not be collected after mid July!”
In my last post I had meant to include this smut on Bluebells. It is common enough in this part of the world, but under-recorded.
Colletotrichum liliacearum on Hyacinthoides non-scripta (Bluebell)
In Broadford I found Venturia populina on Populus trichocarpa (Western Balsam-poplar). Bruce says it is “fairly common up here” but there is only one Scottish record on NBN – and that is incorrect as the host is given as Aspen.
Venturia populina on Populus trichocarpa
In Ardvasar there were Red Campion capsules with small holes near the base. I have forgoten what does this and hope someone will remind me…. maybe the moth known as The Campion?
Silene dioica
On one of the capsules I spotted this:
Unknown on Silene dioica capsule
It is very small but looks a bit too organised to be just miscellaneous junk.
Nearby there was a Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan Honeysuckle or Pheasant Berry) with lots of leaf mines.
Mines on Leycesteria formosa
Mines on Leycesteria formosa are caused by flies that traditionally mine Lonicera periclymenum (Honeysuckle) and I sometimes find them difficult to tell apart despite excelllent guides at UKflymines and Plant Parasites of Europe. Anyway, these images found their way to Barry Warrington who runs the National Agromyzidae Recording Scheme and he says they are caused by Chromatomyia lonicerae.
By the front gate there is a small Hawthorn tree (Crataegus monogyna). Yesterday I spotted a small moth larva that turns out to be a young Light Emerald.
Light Emerald larva
Apparently this species overwinters as small larvae lying flat along stems of the food plant. As you can see the larva has a fringe of hair-like projections hanging down from the sides.
Also on the Hawthorn a couple of leaves had been spun together with silk and inside was another moth larva. The identity of this one has not yet been resolved.
Spun leavesLarva
Before I left the premises I noticed a fungus on Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet) which Bruce tells me is Alternaria solani.
Alternaria solani on Solanum dulcamara
This is not entirely good news as this fungus causes Early Potato Blight and we grow quite a lot of potatoes.
Moving on a couple of hundred metres to a strip of woodland by the Arish Burn, I noticed some leaf mines on Stachys sylvatica (Hedge Woundwort) caused by the true fly Amauromyza labiatarum.
Amauromyza labiatarum mines on Stachys sylvatica
and a little further on a Hazel (Corylus avellana) had leaf mines made by two different micro-moths.
Stigmella floslactella mine on Corylus avellanaPhyllonorycter nicellii mine on Corylus avellanaPhyllonorycter nicellii larva
Also there was a springtail, Entomobrya nivalis (sometimes called Cosmopolitan Springtail), though I almost missed it and have no worthwhile image to share.
A little further on there were galls on Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup) caused by the fungus Urocystis ranunculi
Urocystis ranunculi galls on Ranunculus repens
I am grateful to various folks for identifying and confirming many of the species shown here: Bruce Ing, Roy Leverton, Murdo Macdonald, Stephen Moran, Nigel Richards and Mark Young.
