Copper Ermel, Dowdy Plume, Dune Villas and a leaf cut by a bee

For the third night in the row, 24th August was a good night.  The highlight was my first ever adult Copper Ermel Roeslerstammia erxlebella.

Copper Ermel Roeslerstammia erxlebella, North Elmham, 24th August

New for the year were Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Centre-barred Sallow and Old Lady.

Centre-barred Sallow, North Elmham, 24th August

I was more surprised to see a Rosy Footman, a pristine fresh individual so I suspect a second generation which isn't normal for this species.  Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea was also my first of its second generation this year, although for that species it's the first spring generation that's a relatively new phenonemon.

Four species of migrant moth was good for here:  3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, 2 Rush Veneers Nomophila noctuella and Silver Y.

Other micros were Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 2 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis corylana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 5 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 7 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 3 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, 6 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 7 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis and Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla.

The remainder of the macros were 3 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Riband Waves, Flame Carpet, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 6 Common Carpets, 10 Green Carpets, 2 Wormwood/Currant Pugs, Tawny Speckled Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Treble-bars, 3 Yellow-barred Brindles, 25 Brimstone Moths, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, Dusky Thorn, 3 Willow Beauties, 2 Poplar Hawkmoths, 2 Iron Prominents, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, 19 Flame Shoulders, 24 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 10 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 5 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, 2 Straw Underwings, Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, Common Rustic, 9 Flounced Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles, 30 Straw Dots and 3 Snouts.

Treble-bar (female), North Elmham, 24th August

Green Lacewings consisted of 2 Cunctochrysa albolineata and Dichochrysa flavifrons.  Caddisflies included a Athripsodes albifrons and bugs included a Forest Bug.

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy for some birding.  Saw some birds but the non-birds were more varied and interesting.  I saw 4 Toads, 2 Natterjacks and 2 Common Toads.  Later on with Andrew B and his colleague we found a Common Lizard.

Common Lizard, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Natterjack, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

There were a lot of plume moths in the dunes.  Some looked like, and one was subsequently confirmed as being, Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans - at least 10 of these seen.  Others looked rather like Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, but they didn't seem big enough.  I couldn't immediately see what else they could be though, so suspecting that's what they were I retained one just in case.  Good job I did... they were, or at least that one was, Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus, a new moth for me.  At least 6 of these, assuming they were all the same.

 Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans (male, gen det), Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus (male, gen det), Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Other moths were 6 Spindle Ermines Yponomeuta cagnagella, 2+ Beautiful Groundlings Caryocolum marmorea, 6 Yellow-spot Tortrixes Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 10+ Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, Straw-barred Pearl Pyrausta despicata, 3 Common Carpets and 3 Yellow Belles.

Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Butterflies included getting on for 200 Small/Green-veined Whites along the sea wall.  Both species were involved - I identified and counted 55 Small Whites and 23 Green-veined Whites.  Also Small Copper, 3 Brown Arguses, Common Blues, Small Tortroiseshells, Wall Browns, Meadow Browns, Gatekeeper, Small Heaths (most of the non-Whites were in the dunes).  Dragonflies included Migrant Hawker and at least 2 Ruddy Darters.

I was mystified by a green thing flying with a strange up and down motion through the dunes.  It had quite a big very green body and was flying most bizarrely - or at least that was what I first thought.  When it landed I realised that it was in fact a bee carrying a leaf!  Although I was vaguely aware that there was such a thing as a leafcutter bee I'd never seen one carrying a leaf it had cut before.  Turns out, I think, that it was Silvery Leafcutter Bee Megachile leachella, my first leafcutter in the UK.

Silvery Leafcutter Bee Megachile leachella, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Other interesting insects included 2 Dune Villas, a distinctive Bee Fly I was familiar with only through a couple of photos I'd seen on Twitter recently.

Dune Villas Villa modesta, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

These two hoverflies looked so different from one another I'd have imagined they were different species were it not for the fact that they were copulating.  Turns out they were (both) Sphaerophoria scripta.

Sphaerophoria scripta, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Andrew Bloomfield kindly showed me some more spiders.  These included Tegenaria agrestis, Alopecosa barbipes and a Theridion sp.  I think he said he needed to check the ID of the latter and I've not followed up to find out which species it was.  The very limited research I've done (googling) suggests it may be Theridion pictum though if I remember rightly T varians was mentioned.

Alopecosa barbipes, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Theridion sp. (looks like images of Theridion pictum), Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Andy also pointed out some interesting grasshoppers.  First were a couple of Lesser Marsh Grasshoppers one of which was an unusual pink form.  There was also Mottled Grasshopper and Andy found a Long-winged Conehead, apparently not a common sighting here.

Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Long-winged Conehead, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Also thanks to Andy for pointing out Tiny Earthstars - a rare fungus that is not found at many other sites.

Tiny Earthstars, Burnham Overy Dunes, 25th August

Gold Spot, Butterbur and a monopoly of Bryotropha basaltinella

A new moth for the garden on 23rd August was this fantastic Gold Spot.  They're not supposed to be very unusual but this was only the second Gold Spot I've seen anywhere.

Gold Spot, North Elmham, 23rd August

Another good macro, though much less exciting to look at, was this Butterbur - my second of the autumn.

Butterbur, North Elmham, 23rd August

Much rarer than either of these, at least as far as number of records are concerned, were a pair of micros.  I have the monopoly on Thatch Groundlings Bryotropha basaltinella in Norfolk.  I found the first in my garden trap shortly after moving in to North Elmham in 2014.  The second followed last year and now here are two more.

Thatch Groundlings Bryotropha basaltinella (female above and male below, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August

An Ashy Button Acleris sparsana was a surprise.  I normally see these in October, with all previous records falling between mid September and mid November, so wasn't expecting to add one to the year list on 23rd August!

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 23rd August

Others new for the year were Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, Small Alder Midget Phyllonorycter stettinensis and Wax Moth Galleria mellonella.

Small Alder Midget Phyllonorycter stettinensis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August

Wax Moth Galleria mellonella, North Elmham, 23rd August

Other decent micros included an impressive count of 7 Oak Bent-wings Bucculatrix ulmella, Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella and Sallow Marble Apotomis capreana.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham, 23rd August

Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella, North Elmham, 23rd August

Sallow Marble Apotomis capreana, North Elmham, 23rd August

A good selection of other micros again with Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella, Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 12 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 2 Rusty-dot Pearls Udea ferrugalis, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August

Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd August

Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, North Elmham, 23rd August

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 23rd August

Among the macros there was another good count of 60 Straw Dots and the first autumn-generation Vine's Rustic.  Others were 3 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Large Emerald, 2 Blood-veins, Small Dusty Wave, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, 6 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, Purple Bar, 2 Green Carpets, Small Rivulet, Maple Pug, Currant Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Treble-bar, Yellow-barred Brindle, 19 Brimstone Moths, 4 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 3 Dusky Thorns, 3 Willow Beauties, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Dingy Footman, Common Footman, 16 Flame Shoulders, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Square-spotted Clays, 9 Square-spot Rustics, Straw Underwing, Common Rustic, Burnished Brass and Snout.

Vine's Rustic, North Elmham, 23rd August

Other insects included the Green Lacewing Dichochrysa flavifrons and the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius lutescens (new for the house, though several more found later in the autumn).  Caddisflies included another Hydroptila sparsa.

Hemerobius lutescens, North Elmham, 23rd August

Bugs included the leafhopper Lamprotettix nitidulus, new for the house.  Check out the sad face on its scutellum...

Lamprotettix nitidulus, North Elmham, 23rd August

Also Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita and 2 Forest Bugs (Red-legged Shieldbugs).

1500 Beetles and my 700th garden moth

In my last post I reported that things started to pick up on 21st August after a quiet spell in mid August.  The next night wasn't just warming up, it was positively hot.  306 moths of 92 species, though well short of the July peak was a pretty ok total for the second half of August.  But the main event wasn't the moths at all - it was an incredible arrival/emergence of beetles!  The trap was covered in and full of small reddish brown beetles.  Every egg box had dozens of them on and the bottom of the trap was literally piled high with them.  With them being in piles it was pretty hard to count them but my estimate of 1500 was as careful as I could, veering on the conservative side.  I had no idea what species was involved but it was clear from Twitter that many other moth-trappers in the county had experienced the same phenomenon, and some of them were competent to identify them as Bradycellus verbasci, with some reporting a smaller number of Bradycellus harpalinus among them.  I can't confirm the latter in my haul but verbasci was a new species for me.

Bradycellus verbasci, North Elmham, 22nd August

Among the moths an impressive 9 species were new for the year here.  Two of them were new for the garden, namely Poplar Bent-wing Phyllocnistis unipunctella and Brown Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria simplicella. The former had so few scales left on it I had to chop it to work out what genus it was even.  These brought my garden moth list to over 700 - not bad considering I only moved here in August 2014!

Brown Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria simplicella, North Elmham, 22nd August

The others new for the year were 5 Oak Bent-wings Bucculatrix ulmella, Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella, Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, Dark Ash Bud Moth Prays ruficeps, Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella and Small Purple and Gold (Mint Moth) Pyrausta aurata.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, North Elmham, 22nd August

Yellow-triangle Slender Caloptilia alchimiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd August

Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 22nd August

Dark Ash Bud Moth Prays ruficeps, North Elmham, 22nd August

Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella, North Elmham, 22nd August

White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, North Elmham, 22nd August

Small Purple and Gold Pyrausta aurata, North Elmham, 22nd August

An excellent selection of other micros: Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella, 2 New Oak Slenders Caloptilia robustella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, 3 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella, Long-streak Midget Phyllonorycter salicicolella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 4 Horse Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, 5 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine agg. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, 5 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana, 5 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 4 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 2 Common Birch Bells Epinotia immundana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 2 Round-winged Drills Dichrorampha simpliciana, 6 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 9 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 9 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 3 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, 6 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Rusty-dot Pearls Udea ferrugalis, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, 8 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd August

Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, North Elmham, 22nd August

In comparison the macros were relatively mundane, although a count of 63 Straw Dots was notable.  The other macros were 5 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Riband Waves, 13 Common Carpets, Purple Bar, 4 Green Carpets, Slender Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 2 Tawny Speckled Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Magpie Moth, 14 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 3 Dusky Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, Common Wave, Iron Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 9 Flame Shoulders, 14 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 7 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Six-striped Rustic, 3 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, Mouse Moth, 2 Common Rustics, 8 Flounced Rustics and Burnished Brass.

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 22nd August

Slender Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd August

Mouse Moth, North Elmham, 22nd August

Among the other insects was the barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi, a new one for me.

Ectopsocus briggsi (male), North Elmham, 22nd August

Caddisflies included the microcaddis Hydroptila sparsa, a new species for the garden.

Hydroptila sparsa (female, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd August

Bugs included my first Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus of the year and 3 of the impressive Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita.  Also Birch Shieldbug and no less than 9 Forest Bugs (Red-legged Shieldbugs).

Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus, North Elmham, 22nd August

Birch Shieldbug, North Elmham, 22nd August

Also 3 Hemerobius lutescens (a Brown Lacewing), an Oak Bush-cricket (inside the house) and 2 Common Wasps.

Oak Bush-cricket, North Elmham, 22nd August