Fruits, Seeds and Brimstone

All images shot during recent Woodland Walk.

Blackberries.{:))

The Blackberry season is upon us and I shall have to take a plastic bag the next time.

I found two Brimstone Butterflies feeding on a small patch of Purple Loosestrife fairly deep in woodland. 

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicara) is generally associated with watercourse, it was strange to find it in that location, although the water table is pretty high in the area which is probably the reason.

I know its an invasive plant and apparently one plant can produce up to 3 million seeds in one year. However it also provides food for many insects.

Strange to find an apple of this size growing wild in woodland. Larger than crab and they don't look like cider apples.?

Hazelnuts

A favorite food plant of several species of butterfly, the Brimstone certainly enjoys feeding from the Common Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica).

Funghi about 4cm across growing under trees.

Hips from the Dog Rose.

Haw Berries from the Hawthorn bush

Another foodplant favoured by the Brimstone, the Creeping Thistle (Cirsium arvense)

Sloe fruit from the Blackthorn bush.

Oak trees are now producing the acorn much to the Jay's and the Squirrel's delight.

In the image below you can see amongst the Acorns some Oak Apples. 

This form of oak apple is actually the Oak Marble Gall which is caused by the Gall wasp (Andricus kollari) laying eggs in the leaf buds, which are then distorted into this shape. 

There are some 360 different species of Gall wasp in Europe.

The Rose Bedeguar

Formed by the Gall wasp (Diplolepis rosae) that lays eggs in a leaf bud of the Dog Rose, which then chemically induces the distortion of the bud.