Sign in

Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology

@aspenecology.com
954 followers 429 following 1K posts

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.

PostsRepliesMedia
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 26/09/2026
Continuing #marine #lichens theme below. This is Lichina pygmaea. Found in #barnacle zone between high and low tide. Tolerates long periods of saltwater immersion. Distinguished from L confinis by flattened branchlets but also position: L confinis found in splash zone above high-tide line. Scotland.
Lichina pygmaea : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6591 Camusdarach : July 2026 : On siliceous outcropLichina pygmaea : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6589 Traigh : July 2026 : On siliceous outcropLichina pygmaea : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6792 Morar Bay : July 2026 : On siliceous outcropLichina pygmaea : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6792 Morar Bay : July 2026 : On siliceous outcrop
1113
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 25/09/2026
Join me on the weekend of 3 & 4 October for my 'Lichens for beginners' course at FSC Epping Forest! #Lichens are a secret world all around you: curiously beautiful, ecologically vital, unique on Earth...and totally overlooked. Let's explore it together! www.field-studies-council.org/courses-and-...
Lichen community on worked wood : England : VC20 Hertfordshire : TL3510 : March 2025
1123
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 20/09/2026
Lovely day out exploring #lichens of an old chalk pit in Creeting St Mary Pits SSSI with @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social! Many thanks for the kind words @timholtwilson.bsky.social and for your excellent company on the lichen walk. Very pleased you enjoyed it!
052
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 06/09/2026
Note that C pelvetiae (below) is found on P canaliculata #seaweed fronds only, not fertile receptacles. Don't confuse with Mycophyscias ascophylli: 'inverted' or 'semi-' #lichen in which #alga provides both nourishment and structure, and #fungus lives within. That's found on receptacles, not fronds!
Mycophyscias ascophylli : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM 6589 Traigh : July 2026 : On receptacle of Pelvetia canaliculata
132
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 05/09/2026
There are few habitats more fascinating than #rockpools. Biologically rich yet ecologically extreme. This fine example will become a self-contained, waist-deep aquarium once the tide goes fully out. Imagine exploring it as a miniature aquanaut! Camusdarach beach, near Morar, Highland, Scotland.
Rockpool at Camusdarach beach, near Morar, Highland, Scotland : July 2026
160
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 05/09/2026
Collemopsidium pelvetiae: extraordinary 3-part #lichen involving #fungus, #cyanobacterium and #seaweed! Vanishingly few records in Britain. I suspect it's not quite so rare: I found it on 3 of 6 beaches searched on summer holiday in Scotland. Grows only on channelled wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata).
Collemopsidium pelvetiae : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6589 Traigh : July 2026 : On frond of channelled wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata)
2299
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 29/08/2026
#Galls on leaves of field maple, St Michael & St Felix church, Rumburgh, Suffolk. 'Tumors' induced by tiny #mite Aceria myriadeum, which lays its eggs within. Larvae develop safe from predators and with endless supply of nourishment, before emerging as adults to mate. What an amazing life-strategy!
Aceria myriadeum : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On leaves of Acer campestreAceria myriadeum : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On leaves of Acer campestre
1101
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 28/08/2026
Things that look like #lichens but aren't. Who doesn't admire a bit of free-living subaerial #algae? Trentepohlia in long chains, possibly T umbrina. On plaster render on north wall of Rumburgh church, Suffolk. Orange chemical that protects it from UV is none other than beta-carotine: as in carrots!
Trentepohlia : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On plaster renderTrentepohlia : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On plaster render : In KOH : 400x
152
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 23/08/2026
Meet Athelia arachnoidea: destructive #fungal parasite of #lichens. When it's done with this Xanthoria parietina, there'll be nothing left. Fuzzy brown sclerotia are sexual structures. Its asexual form, Rhizoctonia carotae, is known to fruit & veg trade as 'crater rot' on carrots! Rumburgh, Suffolk.
Athelia arachnoidea : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On Xanthoria parietina : On Acer twig
163
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 22/08/2026
I love finding #harvestmen while recording #lichens. Two from Suffolk: Opilio canestrinii at Rumburgh, Phalangium opilio at Minsmere. I also saw Paroligolophus agrestis and Leiobunum rotundum on survey in Shropshire. @vannabartlett.bsky.social: shall I iRecord latter two even if I didn't get photos?
Opilio canestrinii : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026Phalangium opilio : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM4765 Minsmere : August 2026
2132
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 22/08/2026
Surveyed St Michael & St Felix's Church in Rumburgh, Suffolk, last month. 79 #lichen taxa recorded, including near-threatened Lecanora horiza and nationally notable Verrucaria polysticta. Also Pertusaria lactescens: locally common in west, but rare in East Anglia. aspenecology.com/survey-of-st....
Lecanora horiza : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On sandstone gravestoneVerrucaria polysticta : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On concrete renderPertusaria lactescens : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On sandstone coffin-tombSt Michael & St Felix's Church : Rumburgh, Suffolk, England : July 2026
2135
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 12/08/2026
Not the moment of maximum #eclipse, which reached ~90% at 19:11 here in Bungay, Suffolk. This was ~70% at 18:58. But it was so difficult to focus the phone camera through the dark viewing glass that we left the peak spectacle for pure in-the-moment enjoyment.
Partial eclipse of the Sun as observed from Bungay, Suffolk, England. Coverage of ~70% at 18:58. Maximum eclipse reached ~90% at 19.11.
050
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 08/08/2026
Amandinea pelidna on flint pebble in vegetated shingle. Nationally notable #lichen of siliceous coastal rock. Only small handful of Suffolk records: this is first for Shingle Street. Easily confused with A punctata, but separated by thicker, girdle-like septum (wall dividing spores into two cells).
Amandinea pelidna : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3642 Shingle Street : July 2026 : On flint pebbleAmandinea pelidna : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3642 Shingle Street : July 2026 : On flint pebble : In KOH
191
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 07/08/2026
Test of green #sea-urchin (Psammechinus miliaris) with intact 'Aristotle's lantern'. Mouthparts for scraping #algae from rocks. Shows 5-sided symmetry characteristic of #echinoderms (urchins, starfish, etc). #Aristotle named it after traditional 5-sided lantern of his time. Shingle Street, Suffolk.
Green sea-urchin : Psammechinus miliaris : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3742 Shingle Street : July 2026Green sea-urchin : Psammechinus miliaris : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3742 Shingle Street : July 2026
151
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 03/08/2026
Vibrant green samphire (Salicornia) in vegetated shingle at Shingle Street, coastal Suffolk. Unusual salt-tolerant #plant. And as it's so pretty, this brilliant red peacock #butterfly (Aglais io) spotted nearby. Too bad garden-escape red valerian (Centranthus ruber) is invasive in this rare habitat.
Samphire : Salicornia : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3742 Shingle Street : July 2026Peacock butterfly : Aglais io : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3742 Shingle Street : July 2026 : On Centranthus ruber
183
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 01/08/2026
Cladonia polydactyla, C subulata, and C humilis. Three of ten species of heathland #lichens I found in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk. Shows that rare and precious Sandlings lowland heath still remains even under that plantation woodland. Small hope to cling to after devastating Dunwich Heath #wildfire.
Cladonia polydactyla : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3547 Rendlesham Forest : July 2026 : On dry tree stumpCladonia subulata : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3547 Rendlesham Forest : July 2026 : On mineral soilCladonia humilis : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3547 Rendlesham Forest : July 2026 : On mineral soil : K+ yellow
1152
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 01/08/2026
Oak #snakefly (Phaeostigma notata). This unusual #insect is distributed widely in southern England, but seldom seen or recorded as adults live high in tree canopy. Lucky observation on oak trunk: this female perhaps descended to find deep, safe bark crevice for her eggs. Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk.
Oak snakefly : Phaeostigma notata : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3548 Rendlesham Forest : July 2026 : On oak trunk
192
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 30/07/2026
Scythioria (Caloplaca) phlogina. Nationally notable. Recorded only occasionally in Suffolk: this is 8th record for west of county. Nitrogen-tolerant #lichen expanding in Britain (if not overlooked previously). Once associated with elms, but since Dutch elm disease mainly on other basic-bark trees.
Scythioria (Caloplaca) phlogina : England : VC26 West Suffolk : TL8646 : On trunk of dead horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)
2101
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 27/07/2026
Cresponea premnea: main species of internationally rare #lichen community of ancient dry bark, principally #oak. This community takes 300+ years to develop! Now threatened by nitrogen pollution. Virtually exclusive to Britain and Ireland, so it's our responsibility to conserve it. Suffolk, England.
Cresponea premnea : VC25 East Suffolk : TM4585 : June 2026 : On ancient Quercus robor trunkQuercus robor : VC25 East Suffolk : TM4585 : June 2026
1113
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 26/07/2026
Maybe because I like #lichens, I also like #plants that can grow in rocky places on barest of soils. In Britain, they include small group of native #succulents, of which rose-root (Rhodiola rosea) is one. (This plant from Faroe Islands, though.) From its looks, you don't expect its yellow #flowers!
Rose-root : Rhodolia rosea : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026Rose-root : Rhodolia rosea : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026
031
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 26/07/2026
Black, grey, orange, yellow: colours that #lichens paint northern rocky shores. In these photos: Flavoplaca maritima, Myriolecis actophila, Flavoplaca microthallina, Hydropunctaria maura, Lichina pygmaea, Polycauliona verruculifera. From Faroes, but same colours and lichens on British shores, too.
Flavoplaca (Caloplaca) maritima : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulderMyriolecis (Lecanora) actophila : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulderFlavoplaca (Caloplaca) microthallina (yellow, middle); Hydropunctaria (Verrucaria) maura (black, cracked); Lichina pygmaea (black, branched) : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulderPolycauliona (Caloplaca) verruculifera : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulder
181
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 25/07/2026
'False' Irish moss (Mastocarpus stellatus). Differentiated from 'true' Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) by channelled rather than flat fronds. But like its 'true' cousin, this red #algal #seaweed is harvested for 'carrageenan': natural gelatine-like thickener for foods and cosmetics. Vágar, Faroes.
False Irish moss : Mastocarpus stellatus : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026
031
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 25/07/2026
Only ~3% of #lichens are tripartite. #Fungus creates structure, and both #algae and #cyanobacteria (not just one or other) provide nourishment via photosynthesis. Placopsis gelida is their poster-child. Distinctive, pinkish cephalodia serve as 'private apartments' for cyanobacteria. Sandoy, Faroes.
Placopsis gelida : Søltuvík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous boulder
2122
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 19/07/2026
Have you ever seen orange groundwater? It's rust made by #bacteria using dissolved iron and carbon to build their bodies. By rusting iron, they create energy to power #chemosynthesis, like #plants harness light for #photosynthesis. Mind-boggling! This example in seepage from peat on Sandoy, Faroes.
Iron-oxidising bacteria : possibly Leptothrix or Gallionella : Søltuvík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : In seepage from peat : May 2026
0100
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 17/07/2026
Only ~20% of #lichens are squamulose: built a bit like overlapping scales. Here are four I've seen in past few months, all firsts for me: Placidium squamulosum, Xylopsora caradocensis, Vahliella leucophaea, Protopannaria pezizodes. Aren't they striking! (P. squamulosum with @robyaxley.bsky.social.)
Placidium squamulosum : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On mortared stone wallXylopsora caradocensis : Dranganir Trail, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On wooden fence-postVahliella leucophaea : Søltuvík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous boulderProtopannaria pezizodes : Søltuvík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous boulder
190
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 11/07/2026
Shrimp's-eye view of miniature submerged jungles. Not trees, but #seaweed. Not the tropics, but #rockpools on northern shores. Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca), dulse (Palmaria palmata), gutweed (Ulva intestinalis), Scytosiphon lomentaria and others. Elduvík, Eysturoy and Søltuvík, Sandoy, #FaroeIslands.
Mainly sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) but also Scytosiphon laminaria : Elduvîk, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026Dulse (Palmaria palmata) : Elduvîk, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026Mainly dulse (Palmaria palmata) and gutweed (Ulva intestinalis) : Søltuvîk, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026Mainly dulse (Palmaria palmata), sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) and gutweed (Ulva intestinalis) : Søltuvîk, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026
120
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 11/07/2026
Things you find on wet mortared stone walls: aerophytic #algae (species of Trentepohlia, possibly T aurea), #liverworts (species of Conocephalum or 'snakewort', possibly C conicum), and jelly #lichens (Lathagrium auriforme left, Collema flaccidum right). Same wall but not same scale! Gjogv, #Faroes.
Trentepohlia, possibly T. aurea : Gjogv, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On mortared stone wallConocephalum, possibly C. conicum : Gjogv, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On mortared stone wallLathagrium auriforme : Gjogv, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On mortared stone wallCollema flaccidum : Gjogv, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On mortared stone wall
1170
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 11/07/2026
This is Ochrolechia tartarea. Common #lichen on stone in British uplands. Unusual flesh-coloured apothecia that look like pork crackling. In #Scotland it was once used to make traditional 'cudbear' dye. Astounding that it can yield such vivid pinks and purples! This specimen from Sandoy, #Faroes.
Ochrolechia tartarea : Skálhøvdi, near Skálavik, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous outcropOchrolechia tartarea : Skálhøvdi, near Skálavik, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous outcropOchrolechia tartarea : Skálhøvdi, near Skálavik, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous outcropHarris tweed swatch in colours like those obtained from cudbear dye, derived from Ochrolechia tartarea lichen : Callicvol/Wikimedia : CC BY-SA 3.0
1131
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 02/07/2026
Hot weather ⇒ open windows ⇒ unexpected house guests. Delighted all the same to welcome a very smart small ranunculus (Hecatera dysodea), and a brilliantly handsome banded damoiselle (Calopteryx splendens). Sadly they rested themselves in corners awkward for good photos! Bungay, Suffolk, England.
Small ranunculus : Hecatera dysodea : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3389 : June 2026 : Found indoorsBanded damoiselle : Calopteryx splendens : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3389 : July 2026
1143
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 30/06/2026
An ecologist's essential skills upgrade, courtesy of Clarion First Aid. On my way to a Level 3 Award in Outdoor First Aid. Love the props. On the syllabus for tomorrow, among other traumas: catastrophic arterial bleeding. We're to wear easily washable clothes as warm, simulated blood is promised...
Andy Fisher of Clarion First Aid leading first day of Level 3 Award course in Outdoor First Aid. Norwich, Norfolk, England. Realistic knife prop for simulating emergency treatment for penetrating injury. Clarion First Aid course in Outdoor First Aid led by Andy Fisher. Norwich, Norfolk, England. Rocking a field dressing for a simulated scalp laceration. Applied by one of my fellow tutees on Clarion First Aid’s Outdoor First Aid course. Norwich, Norfolk, England.
012
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 27/06/2026
Returning to nested thread below about parasites that infect #lichens. Some are other lichens! They germinate on their hosts, stealing their #algal photobionts. Classic example: Zeora (Lecanora) sulphurea, which often begins life as parasite of Tephromela atra. This pair from Sandoy, #FaroeIslands.
Tephromela atra var. atra & Zeora (Lecanora) sulphurea : Húsavík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous drystone wall
161
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 21/06/2026
This lovely little acorn #barnacle all alone offered fine chance to clarify useful cirriped morphology for myself. Balanid barnacles are found lower down shore than chthamalids, which they outcompete for space, forcing them to live higher up, and out of water longer between tides. Vágar, #Faroes.
Balanid barnacle : Bøur, Vágar, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : Labelled to indicate external morphology, including major differences with chthamalid barnacles.
173
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 20/06/2026
Continuing theme of #fungi parasitising #lichens (see below), two more recent observations: Intralichen lichenicola infecting and blackening apothecia (fruits) of Candelariella vitellina (left, Faroe Islands), and Arthonia apotheciorum doing same to Myriolecis albescens (right, Suffolk, England).
Intralichen lichenicola : Drangarnir trailhead, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Candelariella vitellina f. vitellina : On derelict metal oil-tankArthonia apotheciorum : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3787 : June 2026 : On Myriolecis albescens : On concrete fence-post
151
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 20/06/2026
Announcing another opportunity to learn #lichen microscopy with me! My online 'Beginner Lichen Microscopy' course covers all the fundamentals, from microscope basics to some special lighting techniques. No prior microscope experience needed. Starts this September! aspenecology.com/beginner-lic...
aspenecology.com
Beginner lichen microscopy: register now! - Aspen Ecology
I’m delighted to announce another opportunity to take an online beginner lichen microscopy course with Aspen Ecology! This beginner course will require no previous experience with microscopes. We’ll l...
1114
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 19/06/2026
It surprises people to learn that #lichens can get ill! These two have #fungal infections: Lecanora polytropa with green Cercidospora epipolytropa; Lepra corallina with black Sclerococcum sphaerale. Common diseases of these species. On Skálhøvdi, Sandoy, #Faroe Islands, but found in Britain, too.
Cercidospora epipolytropa : Skálhøvdi, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Lecanora polytropa : On siliceous outcropCercidospora epipolytropa : Skálhøvdi, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Lecanora polytropa : On siliceous outcropSclerococcum sphaerale : Skálhøvdi, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Lepra corallina : On siliceous outcropSclerococcum sphaerale : Skálhøvdi, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Lepra corallina : On siliceous outcrop
1102
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 14/06/2026
Nail gall on leaf of lime (Tilia) tree, St Edmundsbury Cathedral churchyard, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. Common, tumour-like growth induced by mite Eriophyes tiliae. Mite larvae develop within, literally surrounded by their food source, and protected from predators. Clever and strange!
Lime nail gall : Eriophyes tiliae : England : VC26 West Suffolk : On Tilia leaf : May 2026
1154
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 13/06/2026
We interrupt our regular lichen programming to bring you this house #centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) from my cellar. If you've ever wondered what haunts the nightmares of your average household insect pest, now you know. Slightly shiver-inducing, but a welcome predator. Bungay, Suffolk, England.
House centipede : Scutigera coleoptrata : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3389 : May 2026
2404
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 12/06/2026
#Lichen substances can have striking colours and reactions. This is Bacidina egenula, whose blue-green epithecium and outer exciple sharply intensifies in K, and whose red-brown hypothecium dulls. Note also remarkable thread-like spores. First record for VC52 Anglesey. With @robyaxley.bsky.social.
Bacidina egenula : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Salix trunkBacidina egenula : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Salix trunk : In waterBacidina egenula : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Salix trunk : In KOH : K+ intensifying green (epithecium and outer exciple) : K+ dulling brown (hypothecium)Bacidina egenula : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Salix trunk : In KOH : K+ intensifying green (epithecium)
1113
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 12/06/2026
Very proud to be the ‘face of #lichenology’ for new ecology and environment careers exhibit at the Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in #Cardiff! On display all month. Hope it inspires young visitors to notice #lichens, and to imagine studying or working with them. Many thanks to Techniquest!
Display from ecology and environment careers exhibit at Techniquest Science Discovery Centre in Cardiff, Wales. 'Lichenology: Dr Anthony Speca. My name is Anthony, and I'm a field lichenologist. This means I study lichens outdoors as a practical ecologist. I also teach about lichens, which are the most amazing organisms no-one has heard of! Lichens are everywhere. They've even survived space! But they're sensitive to air pollution, and they're telling us we're not looking after our environment properly. Looking at a lichen close up is like landing on an alien planet. We know a lot less about them than most other wildlife. Many turn brilliant colours with chemicals and UV-light, and some need microscopes to identify. Like a lichen CSI!'
121
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 07/06/2026
Myriolecis andrewii is rare, notable #lichen of British rocky shores. Found on siliceous rock in upper part of splash zone. Spectacular orange UV-fluorescence! Can be confused with M fugiens, which fluoresces similarly, but has distinctly yellowish thallus. Anglesey with @robyaxley.bsky.social.
Myriolecis andrewii : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On siliceous outcropMyriolecis andrewii : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On siliceous outcropMyriolecis andrewii : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On siliceous outcrop : UV+ bright orange
1131
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 06/06/2026
Final post for now in this nested thread about #marine #lichens. Two species of Wahlenbergiella are commonly found on British rocky shores: W striatula (previous post) and W mucosa (here, from recent trip to Faroe Islands). Both live exclusively in intertidal zone, immersed in seawater twice daily!
Wahlenbergiella mucosa : Húsavík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous outcropWahlenbergiella mucosa : Elduvík, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On siliceous outcrop
173
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 06/06/2026
Factsheet and galleries for Ricasolia (Lobaria) virens now posted! Charismatic #lichen of ancient oceanic woods. Found only in Europe and Macaronesia, with significant British population that we have int'l responsibility to conserve. This one from Kintyre, Scotland. aspenecology.com/ricasolia-lo...
aspenecology.com
Ricasolia (Lobaria) virens - Aspen Ecology
TAXON: Ricasolia virens (With.) H.H. Blom & Tønsberg (2016) RECENT SYNONYMS: Lobaria laetevirens, Lobaria virens FAMILY: Peltigeraceae GROWTH FORM: Foliose, heteromerous SUBSTRATES: Bark of deciduous ...
230
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 05/06/2026
Continuing nested thread below. Alongside Collemopsidium, Wahlenbergiella is another genus of truly #marine #lichens adapted to extreme saltwater habitat. This is W striatula, which is found on siliceous coastal rock in zone between high and low tides. Anglesey, Wales, with @robyaxley.bsky.social.
Wahlenbergiella striatula : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On siliceous rockWahlenbergiella striatula : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On siliceous rock
142
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 03/06/2026
Join me Saturday 13 June in Waldringfield, Suffolk, to discover the secret world of #lichens! After an introduction to these amazing organisms, we'll go outside to see them 'in the wild'. Thanks to Waldringfield Wildlife Group for inviting me, and @suffolk-nats1929.bsky.social for co-sponsoring.
Poster for Waldringfield Wildlife Group event, 'Discovering the Secret World of Lichens', led by Dr Anthony Speca of Aspen Ecology : Saturday 13 June : 11.00 to 14.00 : Waldringfield Village Hall
153
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 02/06/2026
Congratulations to @ilichenmoss2.bsky.social for this BBC showcase of his vital discovery. Casualties of the invasive Campylopus introflexus #moss in Britain include our diverse, beautiful but slower-growing native Cladonia #lichens, which struggle to compete with it. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Killer fungus discovered that destroys UK invasive plant
A newly discovered species raises hope that some native British habitats could be restored.
3266
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 30/05/2026
Collemopsidium (see nested thread below) doesn't occur only on shell. Some species in this genus of #marine #lichens are found mainly on rock. For instance, these thalli of C elegans are growing on quartz pebble, among red encrusting #alga belonging to Hildenbrandia genus. From Kilmory, Scotland.
Collemopsidium elegans : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR6974 : July 2022 : On quartz pebbleCollemopsidium elegans : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : NR6974 : July 2022 : On quartz pebble
181
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 29/05/2026
Continuing this nested thread about #marine #lichens. Collemopsidium foveolatum (below) can be confused with less common C sublitorale, which also grows on shells. But perithecia of latter are emergent, not immersed. Both occur on these #barnacles, making difference easier to see. Ormsary, Scotland.
Collemopsidium foveolatum and Collemopsidium sublitorale : Scotland : VC101 Kintyre : August 2022 : On Cirripedia shell
1104
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 25/05/2026
As mentioned below, Collemopsidium foveolatum grows on shells of various #marine animals, not just #barnacles. Case in point: this same #lichen on limpet (Patella) shell. From beach at Húsavík, on Sandoy, in Faroe Islands where I'm very lucky to be spending this week for work and holiday.
Collemopsidium foveolatum : Húsavík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Patella shellCollemopsidium foveolatum : Húsavík, Sandoy, Faroe Islands : May 2026 : On Patella shell
072
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 24/05/2026
This is Collemopsidium foveolatum. Another #marine #lichen like C pelvetiae below. Common around British coasts. Typically found on #barnacles but also other shells. Sometimes calcareous rock. For more see aspenecology.com/collemopsidi.... From Anglesey on lichen survey with @robyaxley.bsky.social.
Collemopsidium foveolatum : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Cirripedia shell
1121
Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 22/05/2026
Recently on Anglesey surveying #lichens. Highlights included #marine species from intertidal zone. Excited to find Collemopsidium pelvetiae: rarely recorded lichen in unusual triple symbiosis with #cyanobacteria and #seaweed (channelled wrack, Pelvetia canaliculata)! With @robyaxley.bsky.social.
Collemopsidium pelvetiae : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Pelvetia canaliculata frondCollemopsidium pelvetiae : Wales : VC52 Anglesey : April 2026 : On Pelvetia canaliculata frond
1122