Description


A diary of my mothing activity covering highlights and photos from my moth trapping activities. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I may mention other wildlife sightings here, especially insects, but for birds see my birding diary.

Sunday 14 August 2016

Confusing Ermine

Things started to pick up again on 14th.  One species was probabaly one that I've never seen before - problem is it could be one of 2 species I've never seen before, with a chance of another that I have seen.  Three species of Yponomeutids, Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, Apple Ermine Yponomeuta malinellus, Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella are supposed to be inseparable unless you know their foodplant, which in the case of isolated records of adults is pretty much impossible.  There are typical differences though.  Spindle is largest, on average, and has pure white background colour to the forewing including the cilia, Apple also has white background colour but may have grey cilia while Orchard usually has a greyish suffusion to the forewing and distinctly grey cilia.  Mine had really contrasting grey cilia, so can't have been Spindle, but pure white background colour to the forewings.  Size was good for Apple or Orchard, though within range for any of them.  With such white forewings I thought it unlikely to be Orchard, but I can't find any photos of Apple Ermine that have such distinct grey cilia.  There is a hint of what might be grey suffusion on the wings, but not as much as I would expect on Orchard.  I swayed between thinking Apple (because of the white background colour) and Orchard (because such contrastingly grey cilia seem to be more typical of that species), but it must go down as either or.  Actually I'm not 100% sure it's even that.  In the photos there does seem to be a slight greyish suffusion in a patch within the rear half of the wing.  I thought this was wear at the time but it's the same on both sides.  Could it even be Willow Ermine Yponomeuta rorrella?


Ermine sp. Yponomeuta sp., North Elmham, 14th July


Other highlights included Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, a species I saw at Bawdeswell a couple of times but haven't seen for 4 years.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 14th July


Also new for the year here were Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, White Satin, 2 Scarce Footmen, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Marbled Beauty.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 14th July


Scarce Footman, North Elmham, 14th July


Marbled Beauty, North Elmham, 14th July


Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 14th July


Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham, 14th July


Other micros were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Variegated Golden Tortrixes Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, North Elmham, 14th July


Other macros were Ghost Moth, 2 Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 3 Rosy Footmen, 11 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Grey Dagger, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Rufous Minor, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 3 Common Rustics, 15 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Spectacle, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 14th July


Riband Wave (left) and Small Emerals (right), North Elmham, 14th July


Rufous Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July


Some interesting bits and pieces among the other insects in the trap, including the Mayfly Baetis scambus, a new one for me.  The Hoverfly Baccha elongata was new for the house.  Caddisflies included Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus.

Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 14th July


Baccha elongata, North Elmham, 14th July



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