Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology
@aspenecology.com
Lichen surveying, consultancy, training and education. County Lichen Recorder for Suffolk. Posts mainly about lichens, and occasionally other life-forms, especially if they're overlooked. Rocks now and then, too. Founder @anthonyspeca.bsky.social.
Another late post from summer observations: #galls of Aceria erinea, tiny mite parasitising walnut (Juglans regia). Maybe galls aren't world's prettiest things, but it's extraordinary how some animals and other creatures have evolved to co-opt plants directly into their life-cycles. Bungay, Suffolk.
November 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Another late post from summer observations: #galls of Aceria erinea, tiny mite parasitising walnut (Juglans regia). Maybe galls aren't world's prettiest things, but it's extraordinary how some animals and other creatures have evolved to co-opt plants directly into their life-cycles. Bungay, Suffolk.
Still catching up on posts from summer. Second #moth trap from holidays on Loch Morar, Scotland, caught this hectad-first (and early) red-green carpet (Chloroclysta siterata). Also Acleris aspersana and A laterana: not rare, but nice to find as also not well-recorded in VC97 West Inverness-shire.
November 13, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Still catching up on posts from summer. Second #moth trap from holidays on Loch Morar, Scotland, caught this hectad-first (and early) red-green carpet (Chloroclysta siterata). Also Acleris aspersana and A laterana: not rare, but nice to find as also not well-recorded in VC97 West Inverness-shire.
Common brown #shrimp (Crangon crangon) of potted shrimp fame. Masterclass in camouflage: only saw this dashing fellow when light was right. Quick, too: darted away (almost) every time camera came near. Not like #rockpool shrimp below, which seek out your hand like buffet table! Morar Bay, Scotland
November 7, 2025 at 8:06 PM
#Lichens aren't only organisms that grow as crusts. I've mentioned encrusting #algae (below) and this bright specimen is encrusting #sponge. How unusual to find animal taking form of crust on rock! Perhaps common Hymeniacidon perlevis, but I really couldn't say. In tidal zone on Morar Bay, Scotland.
November 7, 2025 at 6:55 PM
#Lichens aren't only organisms that grow as crusts. I've mentioned encrusting #algae (below) and this bright specimen is encrusting #sponge. How unusual to find animal taking form of crust on rock! Perhaps common Hymeniacidon perlevis, but I really couldn't say. In tidal zone on Morar Bay, Scotland.
Female Dicranopalpus ramosus sens lat #harvestman at Bracora, on Loch Morar, Scotland. Seems from @britishspiders.bsky.social website potentially to be first record for VC97 West Inverness-shire! Even if true, it's hardly surprising find: they're common but under-recorded (and under-appreciated).
November 2, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Female Dicranopalpus ramosus sens lat #harvestman at Bracora, on Loch Morar, Scotland. Seems from @britishspiders.bsky.social website potentially to be first record for VC97 West Inverness-shire! Even if true, it's hardly surprising find: they're common but under-recorded (and under-appreciated).
Last #lichen (for now) that I see in Scotland but not East Anglia: Xanthoparmelia conspersa. This one at Morar Bay. Isidiate, not sorediate like similar X mougeotii. Interestingly, latter is regularly recorded in East Anglia, but former rarely. It seems X mougeotii tolerates drier conditions better.
November 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Last #lichen (for now) that I see in Scotland but not East Anglia: Xanthoparmelia conspersa. This one at Morar Bay. Isidiate, not sorediate like similar X mougeotii. Interestingly, latter is regularly recorded in East Anglia, but former rarely. It seems X mougeotii tolerates drier conditions better.
Beautiful but slightly sinister form of compass #jellyfish (Chrysaora hyoscella) lurking in shallow water at Portnaluchaig, near Arisaig, Morar, Scotland. Allegedly, fear of their sting is worse than actual experience: said to be no worse than nettle. I don't know myself: but if you do, reply below!
November 1, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Beautiful but slightly sinister form of compass #jellyfish (Chrysaora hyoscella) lurking in shallow water at Portnaluchaig, near Arisaig, Morar, Scotland. Allegedly, fear of their sting is worse than actual experience: said to be no worse than nettle. I don't know myself: but if you do, reply below!
2/2 …for conservation of all three, insofar as significant proportion of their global populations are found here. Fascinatingly, P cyanoloma often serves as substrate itself for another #lichen: Normandina pulchella! Note its bright green squamules growing on lobes below. Isle of Eigg, Scotland.
November 1, 2025 at 7:16 PM
2/2 …for conservation of all three, insofar as significant proportion of their global populations are found here. Fascinatingly, P cyanoloma often serves as substrate itself for another #lichen: Normandina pulchella! Note its bright green squamules growing on lobes below. Isle of Eigg, Scotland.
1/2 Yet another #lichen I find in Scotland but not home in East Anglia: Pectenia (Degelia) cyanoloma. Its sister species P atlantica and P plumbea look similar, but former has isidia and not apothecia, and latter lacks scalloped depressions on its lobes. Britain has 'international responsibility'…
November 1, 2025 at 7:16 PM
1/2 Yet another #lichen I find in Scotland but not home in East Anglia: Pectenia (Degelia) cyanoloma. Its sister species P atlantica and P plumbea look similar, but former has isidia and not apothecia, and latter lacks scalloped depressions on its lobes. Britain has 'international responsibility'…
This jaunty little fellow sat rather obligingly for a #rockpool portrait this past summer. Who'd have guessed these tiny common hermit #crabs (Pagurus bernhardus) are genetically closer to huge king crabs than to typical shore crabs like in post below? At Portnaluchaig near Arisaig, Morar, Scotland.
October 31, 2025 at 2:48 PM
This jaunty little fellow sat rather obligingly for a #rockpool portrait this past summer. Who'd have guessed these tiny common hermit #crabs (Pagurus bernhardus) are genetically closer to huge king crabs than to typical shore crabs like in post below? At Portnaluchaig near Arisaig, Morar, Scotland.
Grateful to @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social Carlton Marshes for inviting me back to deliver a second public #lichen event earlier this month. And to the participants too, for their lovely feedback! Looking forward to returning this spring for a full-day lichen workshop. aspenecology.com/discovering-...
October 31, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Grateful to @suffolkwildlife.bsky.social Carlton Marshes for inviting me back to deliver a second public #lichen event earlier this month. And to the participants too, for their lovely feedback! Looking forward to returning this spring for a full-day lichen workshop. aspenecology.com/discovering-...
This striking and rather handsome #seaweed is Polyides rotunda, a type of forkweed. It's a red #alga, so taxonomically a plant. Easily the loveliest and most elegant of the seaweeds I saw on holidays in Scotland this past summer. This one in a #rockpool on the beach at Achaidh Mhoir, near Morar.
October 30, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Just posted: #lichen factsheet and galleries for Dermatocarpon miniatum. Most widespread of its genus in Britain. Likes damp conditions, or at least intermittently flushed rock (e.g. seepages, rain tracks). More common in wetter west: this one from Argyll, Scotland. aspenecology.com/dermatocarpo...
October 30, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Just posted: #lichen factsheet and galleries for Dermatocarpon miniatum. Most widespread of its genus in Britain. Likes damp conditions, or at least intermittently flushed rock (e.g. seepages, rain tracks). More common in wetter west: this one from Argyll, Scotland. aspenecology.com/dermatocarpo...
Grey dagger (Acronicta psi) and dark dagger (A tridens) #moths can't be reliably separated without dissection. But their caterpillars can, and this colourful fellow with the shark-fin is grey dagger. Bracora on Loch Morar, Scotland. First record for hectad, but that's due to under-recording there.
October 29, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Grey dagger (Acronicta psi) and dark dagger (A tridens) #moths can't be reliably separated without dissection. But their caterpillars can, and this colourful fellow with the shark-fin is grey dagger. Bracora on Loch Morar, Scotland. First record for hectad, but that's due to under-recording there.
2/2 … invasive fungal fruits visible, so perhaps fungus wasn't reproducing when observed, or some other infection (e.g. viral) is cause. De Morgan wrote: 'Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum'. As fleas, so too #lichens!
October 29, 2025 at 4:45 PM
2/2 … invasive fungal fruits visible, so perhaps fungus wasn't reproducing when observed, or some other infection (e.g. viral) is cause. De Morgan wrote: 'Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum'. As fleas, so too #lichens!
1/2 Like other living things, #lichens can become ill. This normally bright yellow-green Rhizocarpon geographicum appears to be suffering badly from disease. Could be infected with lichenicolous #fungus: symptoms look similar to reaction of R geographicum to Endococcus macrosporus infection. But no…
October 29, 2025 at 4:45 PM
1/2 Like other living things, #lichens can become ill. This normally bright yellow-green Rhizocarpon geographicum appears to be suffering badly from disease. Could be infected with lichenicolous #fungus: symptoms look similar to reaction of R geographicum to Endococcus macrosporus infection. But no…
More #seaweeds observed on holiday in Scotland this past summer. This luxurious sward is pepper dulse (Osmundea pinnatifida). Red #alga (so plant), but variable in colour: these fronds are bleaching yellow and white in sun. Apparently it has peppery, truffly flavour! Achaidh Mhoir beach near Morar.
October 28, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Continuing with #lichens I see in Scotland, but not home in East Anglia: this is Sphaerophorus globosus. One of two Sphaerophorus species in Britain. Like coral on land! Separated from S fragilis by less neatly 'cushioned' appearance, due to branches of variable breadth. At Bracorina on Loch Morar.
October 28, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Continuing with #lichens I see in Scotland, but not home in East Anglia: this is Sphaerophorus globosus. One of two Sphaerophorus species in Britain. Like coral on land! Separated from S fragilis by less neatly 'cushioned' appearance, due to branches of variable breadth. At Bracorina on Loch Morar.
Sights of last summer: silk-button #gall (Neuroterus numismalis) and spangle gall (Neuroterus quercusbaccorum) on leaves of oak felled by Storm Floris. Extraordinary plant 'tumors' caused by two different species of tiny cynipid #wasps whose larvae develop within. Bracorina on Loch Morar, Scotland.
October 27, 2025 at 7:45 PM
2/2 …or as fried delicacy.) In Scotland, U torrefacta was type of 'crottle' #lichen traditionally used for red-purple dye. Can be confused with other Umbilicaria, but characterised by gyrose apothecia (like linear 'lirellate' apothecia but forming spirals), and perforated or ragged lobe margins.
October 27, 2025 at 6:54 PM
2/2 …or as fried delicacy.) In Scotland, U torrefacta was type of 'crottle' #lichen traditionally used for red-purple dye. Can be confused with other Umbilicaria, but characterised by gyrose apothecia (like linear 'lirellate' apothecia but forming spirals), and perforated or ragged lobe margins.
1/2 Another #lichen I see in Scotland but not East Anglia: Umbilicaria torrefacta. This one above Loch Morar. Type of 'rock tripe' considered edible as starvation food. (Though some Indigenous peoples of North America would eat it regularly, and in Japan, U esculenta or 'iwatake' is eaten in salads…
October 27, 2025 at 6:54 PM
1/2 Another #lichen I see in Scotland but not East Anglia: Umbilicaria torrefacta. This one above Loch Morar. Type of 'rock tripe' considered edible as starvation food. (Though some Indigenous peoples of North America would eat it regularly, and in Japan, U esculenta or 'iwatake' is eaten in salads…
Another seashore #worm we all see but don't really 'see': this is Spirorbis. Multiple species in Britain. Tiny creatures that build shell-like tubes mainly on #seaweed fronds. Pleased to have captured them filter-feeding underwater on waving frond, even if bit blurry! Portnaluchaig, near Arisaig.
October 26, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Stereocaulon vesuvianum var nodulosum: another #lichen I see in Scotland but not East Anglia. (But small, stubby variant called 'var symphycheilodes' is found in SE England.) Hard to mistake: like solidified frothy explosion! 'Windowed' phyllocladia (darker centre, paler margin) are characteristic.
October 26, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Stereocaulon vesuvianum var nodulosum: another #lichen I see in Scotland but not East Anglia. (But small, stubby variant called 'var symphycheilodes' is found in SE England.) Hard to mistake: like solidified frothy explosion! 'Windowed' phyllocladia (darker centre, paler margin) are characteristic.
…2/2 quizzical-looking canary-shouldered thorn (Ennomos alniaria) and (just because I think they're pretty, even if common) this lovely antler moth (Cerapteryx graminis). It was exceptionally dry in Morar this past summer, and perhaps that had something to do with early appearance of juniper carpet.
October 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
…2/2 quizzical-looking canary-shouldered thorn (Ennomos alniaria) and (just because I think they're pretty, even if common) this lovely antler moth (Cerapteryx graminis). It was exceptionally dry in Morar this past summer, and perhaps that had something to do with early appearance of juniper carpet.
1/2 Took #moth trap to Scotland on holiday this past summer. Many records were NM79 hectad firsts, but that's due to under-recording. Nicest of first night were this early-for-season juniper carpet (Thera juniperata subsp scotica - maybe only second VC97 record!), elegant chevron (Eulithis testata)…
October 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
1/2 Took #moth trap to Scotland on holiday this past summer. Many records were NM79 hectad firsts, but that's due to under-recording. Nicest of first night were this early-for-season juniper carpet (Thera juniperata subsp scotica - maybe only second VC97 record!), elegant chevron (Eulithis testata)…