Bumblebee Mimic

This is Laphria mitsukurii - called ooishabu in Japan. It is one of the many species of robber fly that mimic bumblebees. 

O'Neill Bay

O'Neill Bay, Waitakere Ranges, New Zealand.

Lochan Chuilceachan End-post

Fencepost of the Week #132

Lovely weathered post where a stock fence abuts to Lochan Chuilceachan above Glendaruel, Argyll.

Tylopilus felleus

Tylopilus felleus - bitter bolette

Tylopilus felleus somewhat resembles the tastier, netted bolettes, but is revoltingly bitter. The dark brown spots on the net, pinkish tint to the pores and pinkish-brown bruising are distinguishing characteristics.

Tylopilus felleus - bitter bolette

Tago's Brown Frog

Rana tagoi - Tago's brown frog - juvenile.

This is the tagogaeru- Tago's brown frog. Frequently found hopping about in the leaf litter of the forests around Kyoto.

Rana tagoi- Tago's brown frog

 Even more frequently, this frog is heard, but not seen - it is the source of the mysterious, subterranean croaking chorus often heard emanating from dank terraces and banks in the area.

Rana tagoi- Tago's brown frog

Kyles of Bute

Kyles of Bute from the hills north of Colintraive on a sunny day in October.

Cicadella viridis

Cicadella viridis

A common leaf hopper from Scotland, last September.

Winter Polypore

Monday Mushroom #112

Winter Polypore - Polyporus brumalis

The winter polypore is one of the most mushroom-shaped of polypores. It quite often looks just like a regular, gilled mushroom until you look underneath and see the pores, or touch it: it's leathery in a way that very few gilled fungi are.

Winter Polypore - Polyporus brumalis

White Lumpy Weevil Drawing

Episomus turritus - shirokobuzoumushi - white lumpy weevil

A drawing in pencil and charcoal of a shirokobuzoumushi - Japanese white lumpy weevil - from some of my original photos.

Views From Scout Scar

Lake District views from the edge of Scout Scar on a windy & still wintry day in March.