A very cool aquatic insect found in a fresh water pond. They swim on their backs, paddling with the longest, hind pair of legs. The abdomen is lined with long hairs, best seen in photos 4-6.
Spectacular. This recently cut Sycamore Maple stump is livid with cheesy goop fungi feeding on the tree's sap.
tiny, bright red, shiny spheres on a black crust fungus (Diatrype stigma?) on a detached hardwood limb, possibly a red oak. cv says Hydropisphaera but I don't trust it... possibly Nectria, or maybe a slime mold?
for the substrate: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/150281920
Tentative ID. About 5 or 6 mm long I think. Hard. Found under a spiderweb under a log.
YF2
Collected by Ryan Callahan from Quercus ?laurifolia on 1/29/2023, cut out the same day
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/146144531
Tiny black spots of Acer negundo twigs (Boxelder)
I'm interested in the little islands with orange borders on a dead Boxelder maple twig (Acer negundo). The tiny black spots are a fungus, but the orange regions are mysterious.
This bright albino pigeon got the attention of passers by in Central Park. "That's a good lookin' pigeon!" one father exclaimed to his young son.
Hymenophore lamellate (unlike D. confragosa which have daedaleoid hymenophores). These fungi were growing on some hardwood sticks. They were smaller than an average D. confragosa.
H/t to Sigrid. Instructive to see this next to an amber jelly. The descriptive text speaks of mineral inclusions, which would be the opaque centers reminiscent of pale
pomegranate seeds.
This is one of the most fantastic things I've ever seen.
I found it interesting that the pores were running down the stem. On a hardwood stick
For the mystery cocoon / crimped leaf / gall see:
already reported to appropriate organizations
Time lapse of newly emerged monarch caterpillar feeding while oleander aphid molts: https://giphy.com/gifs/milkweed-common-aphid-oF5DRBahltEAe7SFn8