Trumpian Toadstool

Despite Storm Ali, Chris and I decided to go for an afternoon walk in a nearby woodland, where, at times, the trees creaked ominously, adding a frisson of fear to our peregrinations. 

It's an in-between time of year, no longer summer but not quite autumn, and we weren't expecting to see anything of any great interest - a bit late for insects and flowers, a bit dry for fungi and only the first intimations of autumn colour. But we were proved wrong.

About half way round we came across a felled poplar that was attracting a whole host of interesting insects whose larvae develop under the rotting bark. My favourite was a darkly, delicate crane-fly that goes by the name of Gnophomyia viridipennis. At the moment this is considered to be Nationally Scarce, and is saproxylic, being particularly associated with poplars. I love the contrast between the bright yellow halteres and the dark wings that reflect shades of pink and gold in bright light.

Close to the end of our walk we found a couple of species of fungi - an impressive tiered bracket on blackthorn, which proved to be the rather local Cushion Bracket and this bolete, which I believe is the Scarlatina Bolete Neoboletus luridiformis. Its shape put me in mind of Stormy Daniels' rather lurid description of President Trump's mushroom shaped phallus! Though I hope it's not this particular colour combination.