Brancaster moths

Dave and I headed up to Gypsy Lane at Brancaster to try some mothing along the public footpath there.  Before setting up we headed out to the saltmarsh with a net and found some good moths.  Best among these were at least 4 Thrift Nebs Aristotelia brizella - a saltmarsh species that has only been recorded in Norfolk 3 times previously, though must lurk in the saltmarshes uncrecorded.

Thrift Nebs Aristotelia brizella, Brancaster, 27th June

A Rosy Wave was good too, a bit of a NW Norfolk special.

Rosy Wave, Brancaster, 27th June

Also Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 4 Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana and Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana.  Along the path down from the car park were Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Yellow Shell, Clouded Silver and Snout. 

Dark-barred Tortrix Sydemis musculana, Brancaster, 27th June

Hedge Shades Isotrias rectifasciana, Brancaster, 27th June

We set up our lights and watched on as an excellent array of species attended.  Among them were half a dozen new ones for me.  The fabulous Orange-rayed Pearl Nascia cilialis was a personal highlight:

Orange-rayed Pearl Nascia cilialis, Brancaster, 27th June

Marbled Coronet was a nice surprise, though perhaps shouldn't have been as a high proportion of the county's records come from the NW Norfolk coastline.

Marbled Coronet, Brancaster, 27th June

Dave was hoping for one, but we recorded at least 6 Obscure Waisncots:

Obscure Wainscots, Brancaster, 27th June

Having done relatively little trapping in reedbed habitats, 3 Flame Wainscots were also new for me.

 Flame Wainscot, Brancaster, 27th June

Sandhill Knot-horn Anerastia lotella was another coastal species we'd not seen before.

Sandhill Knot-horn Anerastia lotella, Brancaster, 27th June

Finally a Dog's Tooth was perhaps a very over-due lifer for me.

 Dog's Tooth, Brancaster, 27th June

When trapping near reed-beds at this time of year, you always hope for a variety of Wainscots and this night did not disappoint.  In addition to the Obscure and Flame Wainscots mentioned above we recorded 3 Striped Wainscots, Southern Wainscot, Common Wainscot and Silky Wainscot, the latter being my first opportunity to have a really good look at one.

Silky Wainscot, Brancaster, 27th June

Striped Wainscot, Brancaster, 27th June

Among the macros we had a good selection of Hawkmoths: 2 Pine Hawkmoths, Poplar Hawkmoth, Eyed Hawkmoth, 5 Elephant Hawkmoths and Small Elephant Hawkmoth.

Pine Hawkmoth, Brancaster, 27th June

Other good macros included 8 Figure of Eighties, Blue-bordered Carpet, Barred Red, 8 Round-winged Muslins, Red-necked Footman, Small Angle Shades, Green Silver-lines, 2 Plain Golden Ys, Blackneck, Pinion-streaked Snout and Dotted Fan-foot. 

Plain Golden Y, Brancaster, 27th June

 Barred Red, Brancaster, 27th June

Blue-bordered Carpet, Brancaster, 27th June

Green Silver-lines, Brancaster, 27th June

Pinion-streaked Snout, Brancaster, 27th June

Noteworthy micros included 2 Crescent Groundlings Teleiodes luculella, 11 confirmed Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella, Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens and Wainscot Veneer Chilo phragmitella.

Crecsent Groundlings Teleiodes luculella, Brancaster, 27th June

Fen Crest Brachmia inornatella, Brancaster, 27th June

Orange Crest Helcystogramma riufescens, Brancaster, 27th June

Wainscot Veneer Chilo phragmitella, Brancaster, 27th June

Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella (males, gen det), Brancaster, 27th June

The rest of the macros were 2 Ghost Moths, 3 Common Swifts, 3 Drinkers, Pebble Hook-tip, Buff Arches, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Straw, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, Shaded Pug, 2 Clouded Borders, Latticed Heath, 5 Scorched Wings, 2 Brimstone Moths, Peppered Moth, 3 Mottled Beauties, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Iron Prominent, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, Common Footman, 2 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, Turnip Moth, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, 12 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Ingrailed Clay, 5 Sycamores, 4 Dark Arches, Light Arches, 3 Marbled Minors (gen det), Tawny Marbled Minor (gen det), 6 Middle-barred Minors, Uncertain, Mottled Rustic, 2 Burnished Brass, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

Turnip Moth, Brancaster, 27th June

The rest of the micros were 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa untitella,  Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 4 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrices Pandemis cerasana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 2 Green Oak Tortrices Tortrix viridana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Twin-barred Knot-horns Homoeosoma sinuella. 

Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, Brancaster, 27th June

This beetle looked distinctive enough that I thought I would be able to identify it.... but I couldn't!  Thanks to James for reading this and steering me in direction of the Reed Beetles Donacia with some tips about separating the best candidates.  It seems to be Donacia clavipes.

Donacia clavipes, Brancaster, 27th June

Burnham Overy

Wow, I'm now over a month behind!  At least it's cooler now so with fewer moths on the wing I've half a chance of catching up!

Saturday 27th June... I headed up to Burnham Overy in the morning to go birding.  Saw a few moths in the process including Sea-blite Groundling Scrobipalpa suaedella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella and Yellow Shell. 

Sea-blite Groundling Scrobipalpa suaedella (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 27th June

Some caterpillars too: 73 Cinnabars and a huge Oak Eggar. 

Oak Eggar caterpillar, Burnham Overy, 27th June

Among the other insect-life were 4 Painted Ladies and these:

Red Admiral, Burnham Overy, 27th June

Blue-tailed Damselfly, Burnham Overy, 27th June

Volucella bombylans, Burnham Overy, 27th June - spent a while trying to figure out if this was a Red-tailed Bumblebee or some other kind of bumblebee before it dawned on me that it was a hoverfly!

Honeysuckle, Burnham Overy, 27th June

In the evening I headed back up to the coast to do some mothing with Dave at Brancaster.  I'll save that for another post, maybe tomorrow...

Two more new micros

Though it didn't turn up anything quite so good as the day before, Friday 26th was a good night at home.  Two new micros for me: Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella and Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa.

Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, North Elmham, 26th June

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 26th June

Another Bird's Wing was good to see:

Bird's Wing, North Elmham, 26th June

Another which I only recently saw for the first time was 2 Woodland Marbles Orthotaenia undulana:

Woodland Marbles Orthotaenia undulana, North Elmham, 26th June

Others new for the year were New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, Blackthorn Slender Deltaornix torquillella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis (all 3 gen detted for confirmation), Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Swallow-tailed Moth and Dotted Fan-foot.

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 26th June

Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham, 26th June

New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Blackthorn Slender Deltraornix torquillella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

The rest of the 69 species were Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrices Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (gen det), 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, 4 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 9 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, 5 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Dwarf Cream Wave, Treble Brown Spot, 3 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 2 Green Pugs, 2 Brimstone Moths, 5 Willow Beauties, 3 Mottled Beauties, 6 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, Poplar Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 3 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 12 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Heart and Clubs, 2 Heart and Darts, 5 Flames, Flame Shoulder, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Double Square-spots, 8 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 8 Uncertains, 2 Burnished Brass, Spectacle, 6 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

I think this chap was a Clay-coloured Weevil:

probable Clay-coloured Weevil, North Elmham, 26th June