Nature Notes # 24 in 3D & ED
No you’re not having a migraine but If you have a pair of 3D glasses they would be useful.
Watch a normal format video of it here…https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=179696655544533&set=vb.117180855126736&type=2&theater
Phallus impudicus (Common Stinkhorn)
Very common in late summer and throughout the autumn, this fungus first signals its presence by its foul odour, which often carries a great distance; this is one of the few fungi you hunt by smell! Nearly always connected to dead wood, it often fruits in rings around tree stumps and presents a rather weird sight, usually with large numbers of flies feeding on the slime-covered cap. It is interesting (if rather anti-social) to collect an ‘egg’ of this fungus and hatch it under a glass jar. The whole process only takes a few hours, usually during the night or early morning.
http://www.istrianet.org/istria/flora/fungi/mush-myths1.htm.
…and the ED bit is...Emerald Damselfly.
As its name suggests the Emerald Damselfly is a member of the green family of damselflies and it is a common sight right across the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Emerald prefers shallow bodies of still water with plenty of tall grassy vegetation around the margins and adjoining areas. They may be found on a very wide variety of habitats including bogs, ditches, canals, ponds and lakes.
It can be seen from late June through to September but is at its best in late July and early August when they are fully mature and at their most vibrant and colourful.
The females are all green and have a thicker abdomen than the male and have brown eyes. The males are mainly green but have blue segments on the base and tip of their abdomens. They also have striking bright blue eyes.
The Emerald differs from other species in that when at rest it nearly always has its wings spread in the dragonfly type pose; where as most other damselflies tend to sit with their wings closed and parallel to their bodies.
All images by WSM.
Check out this site for more information on other Damselflies (http://www.dragonfly-images.co.uk)