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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 outcrop

Lichina pygmaea : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6589 Traigh : July 2026 : On siliceous outcrop

Lichina pygmaea : Scotland : VC97 West Inverness-shire : NM6792 Morar Bay : July 2026 : On siliceous outcrop

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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

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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!

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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

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 06/09/2026

Definitely: I also see it regularly on flint. Regarding your mum's wall: R reductum is indeed a pioneer species of flint. But considering that the lichen is common and widespread, I also wouldn't be surprised if the flints used in the wall were already inoculated with R reductum.

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 06/09/2026

Precisely! The large and small blackish spots are the reproductive structures of the fungus (perithecia and pycnidia). The brownish 'stain' is its thallus, which is also partly immersed in the thallus of the seaweed. Cyanobacterial partner of the Hyella genus also contributes to dark colouration.

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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

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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)

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 05/09/2026

Thanks, Sim. Yes: a beautiful lichen! Not juvenile. Lichens don't develop without photobionts, and if you examine it microscopically, you'll see one. I believe it's a growth form conditioned by the hard substrate. Some other crustose lichens take a similar form on flint, e.g. this Amandinea pelidna.

Amandinea pelidna : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM4765 Minsmere : August 2026 : On flint cobble

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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 campestre

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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 render

Trentepohlia : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On plaster render : In KOH : 400x

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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

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 23/08/2026

Very much so, and unusual, too — I’ve personally never seen another moated church. Please look after its special lichens!

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 22/08/2026

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Vanna! The Shropshire recorder wouldn't know me, so I'll spare him/her the extra effort.

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 22/08/2026

Thanks, Vanna. Yes: as a verifier myself I tend to expect photos, but that’s mainly because even very common lichens are routinely misidentified by lay recorders. I suppose it’s probably the same with harvestmen! I’ll hold off unless Meg suggests otherwise.

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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 2026

Phalangium opilio : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM4765 Minsmere : August 2026

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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 gravestone

Verrucaria polysticta : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On concrete render

Pertusaria lactescens : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3481 Rumburgh : July 2026 : On sandstone coffin-tomb

St Michael & St Felix's Church : Rumburgh, Suffolk, England : July 2026

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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.

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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 pebble

Amandinea pelidna : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3642 Shingle Street : July 2026 : On flint pebble : In KOH

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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 2026

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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 2026

Peacock butterfly : Aglais io : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3742 Shingle Street : July 2026 : On Centranthus ruber

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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 stump

Cladonia subulata : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3547 Rendlesham Forest : July 2026 : On mineral soil

Cladonia humilis : England : VC25 East Suffolk : TM3547 Rendlesham Forest : July 2026 : On mineral soil : K+ yellow

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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

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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)

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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 trunk

Quercus robor : VC25 East Suffolk : TM4585 : June 2026

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 27/07/2026

2/2 …it may be that records on which checklist is based pre-date 1987. It also seems likely no-one has done necessary study, including TLC, to determine whether P lambii occurs on Faroes. So even if balance of evidence points (somewhat) to P gelida, it's not conclusive. Let's say P gelida sp inc!

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 27/07/2026

1/2 Thanks, Caz. This specimen from Faroes. It seems likely both species occur there, but only P gelida listed on checklist for islands. Checklist dates from 1992, so after Hertel & Wirth's 1987 protologue for P lambii. And islands are almost entirely basalt, so good fit for P gelida. All that said…

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Anthony Speca | Aspen Ecology @aspenecology.com · 26/07/2026

Thanks, Caz. You're quite right: could be P lambii. I'm taking reasoned chance on P gelida based on evidence of morphology and situation: matt cortex, soralia not blackened, older soralia radially lengthened. Also not in moist location (i.e. near freshwater) but in xeric supralittoral.

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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 2026

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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 boulder

Myriolecis (Lecanora) actophila : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulder

Flavoplaca (Caloplaca) microthallina (yellow, middle); Hydropunctaria (Verrucaria) maura (black, cracked); Lichina pygmaea (black, branched) : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulder

Polycauliona (Caloplaca) verruculifera : Bøur, Vágar, Faroes : May 2026 : On siliceous boulder

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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

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