A few new for the year

Friday was warm and that warmth stayed into the evening.  Cloud was forecast for dusk and the first part of the night so it looked really promising for moths.  After netting our first Red Twin-spot Carpet of the year by torchlight, Dave and I set up at Creaking Gate Lake in the hope of finding those moths.

Unfortunately the clouds hadn't read the weather forecast and moved swiftly off, leaving the moon to glare down on us.  We gave it our best shot but by soon after 10 I decided to call it a day - it wasn't worth a late night and all that entails for disrupting birding activity for the weekend.  We did manage a few moths, just not enough to make it worthwhile.  New for the year for me were Common Oak Purple Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Pebble Hook-tip and Shuttle-shaped Dart.

Pebble Hook-tip, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

Shuttle-shaped Dart, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

Other nice moths were Water Carpet and 2 Purple Thorns:

Water Carpet, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

Purple Thorns, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

The rest were Brindled Pug, Small Quaker, Common Quaker, 3 Clouded Drabs, 2 Hebrew Characters and 14 Nut-tree Tussocks.

Other insects included what I think is Javesella pellucida, a new bug for me if I'm right (and probably even if I'm not right).

probable Javesella pelucida, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

Common Groundhopper, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

Chironomus plumosus, Creaking Gate Lake, 24th April

Back at home a dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet got away before I could get a pot over it.  Though dark-barred with a small d I suspect it may have been Red Twin-spot Carpet, not Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet.  My first Scorched Carpet of the year was easier, though this flew off as soon as I got this photo too.

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 24th April

I was surprised to find a Twin-spotted Quaker in the trap.  These mainly fly in March and I've only seen them in April twice before, never nearly as late in April as this.

Twin-spotted Quaker, North Elmham, 24th April

Powdered Quaker was next best and the supporting cast were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Shoulder Stripe, Brindled Pug, Early Thorn, 2 Brindled Beauties, Small Quaker, 2 Common Quakers, 3 Clouded Drabs, 4 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.