Slime Mould Tubulifera arachnoidea

e6filmuser

This shows a pink stage and a resistant stage, the latter one day older than the former.

This was shot (hand-held) with my E-M1 and Kiron 105mm macro lens at f11, with a Marumi +5 supplementary, RC twin flash. The full magnification of the combination was not used because of difficulty getting the flash aimed at the subject at the short distance. The scale is indicated by the presence of common moss (i.e. not club moss). (That fragment was already on top).

There was knee-deep quicksand-like mud alongside the log. A more recent visit, after local rain, found the locality was now a pond.

Harold

Lord Vetinari

Interesting capture Harold.
Brian v.

e6filmuser

Lord Vetinari wrote: »

Interesting capture Harold.
Brian v.

Thanks, Brian.

The slime moulds, as you probably know, vary from somewhat undifferentiated to interesting and colourful. My interest is more photographic than biological but their life cycles grab my interest, if only to help time my returns to locations. Apparently, this species is not rare.

Where I can, I like to get in close and show the fine structure but this location was just too precarious, especially having to fiddle with faulty camera controls. I have now had the RC flash circuitry on my EM-1 repaired, and the rear dial replaced, so hardware limitations should not be a problem from now on.

I have been checking local fungi and moulds and only Magpie Inkcaps are of current interest. There are expert-guided forays on Sunday and Monday. I am now official photographer for those.

Harold

GOLDENORFE

Can remember putting my hand in of of those orange ones! Yuk

Lord Vetinari

GOLDENORFE wrote: »

Can remember putting my hand in of of those orange ones! Yuk

...and you didn't instantly transform into a giant amoeba? :

Paul Iddon

Fascinating.

Paul.

e6filmuser

We saw an isolated pink-stage colony on moss at the weekend at another local, woodland site. Although salmon pink, the shape gives the common name of Strawberry Slime Mould.

Harold