3 lifers in 3 nights and frogs after my moths

My last post covered 5th September, a good night by September standards for numbers, variety and scarcity.  Well 6th September was a similar story, except instead of two 'seconds' there were two 'firsts' - new moths for me.  The first was immediately recognised as Barred Smudge Ypsolopha alpella, one I'd been keeping an eye out for.  Not hugely scarce, though having said that there is only one record showing on Norfolk Moths for 2014-2016 so far.  The second resembled certain Epinotia species and it took slightly longer for the penny to drop that it was in fact Brindled Shoot Gypsonoma minutana.  There are only 10 Norfolk records, mostly recent and half from one individual, so a decent one to find at home.

Brindled Shoot Gypsonoma minutana (female), North Elmham, 6th September

Barred Smudge Ypsolopha alpella, North Elmham, 6th September

Common Alder Midget Phyllonorycter rajella was new for the year and a species I don't see all that often.

Common Alder Midget Phyllonrycter rajella, North Elmham, 6th September

Other micros were New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Orchard/Apple/Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta sp., 4 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, 10 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 6 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 2 Marsh Greys Eudonia pallida, 9 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 6th September

The macros included 2 Pinion-streaked Snouts, bringing my total for the year to 7 (5 at home) - suggesting they've had a good year given that I'd only seen 2 in Norfolk previously.

Other macros were Chinese Character, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Garden Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Grey Pine Carpets, 22 Green Carpets, Double-striped Pug, 23 Brimstone Moths, 7 Dusky Thorns, 14 Light Emeralds, Ruby Tiger, 3 Flame Shoulders, 14 Large Yellow Underwings, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 9 Square-spot Rustics, Cabbage Moth, 7 Common Wainscots, Centre-barred Sallow, Copper Underwing agg., Mouse Moth, Flounced Rustic, 3 Frosted Oranges, 2 Burnished Brasses, 7 Straw Dots and 16 Snouts.

Common Marbled Carpet, North Elmham, 6th September

There were 4 species of Lacewing again - 4 Chrysoperla carnea (1 male and 3 presumed females), Cunctochrysa albolineata, 2 Dichochrysa flavifrons and Hemerobius lutescens.  Interestingly one of the Chrysoperla had atypical wing venation.  The genus is normally identified by the position of vein RMCV in relation to cell IMC, but this individual didn't have a cell IMC!  It was the same on both wings.

Chrysoperla carnea agg. (female), North Elmham, 6th September

Bugs consisted of 7 Birch Shieldbugs and 4 Forest Bugs.

Next day the highlight was another Butterbur, amazingly my third this autumn.

Butterbur, North Elmham, 7th September

Otherwise it was quieter than the previous two nights: New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 9 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 8 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Chinese Character, Common Marbled Carpet, 13 Green Carpets, Double-striped Pug, 8 Brimstone Moths, 7 Dusky Thorns, 4 Light Emeralds, Ruby Tiger, 2 Flame Shoulders, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 5 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 5 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, 2 Mouse Moths, 2 Flounced Rustics, Frosted Orange, 2 Vine's Rustics, 6 Straw Dots and 17 Snouts.

Found this hoverfly in the garden on 8th, Helophilus hybridus.

Helophilus hybridus, North Elmham, 8th September

The best moth that night was inside the house, not in the moth trap: a Common Clothes Moths Tineola bisselliella.  In the days before central heating and when we wore mainly natural-fibre clothes this species was considered a pest.  Now it has declined to such an extent that there was only one record in the Norfolk Moths database prior to 2014.  A mini-spate of recent records is surprising but this still appears to be only the 5th record for the county.

 Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th September

Nothing so exciting in the trap... Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, 8 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 3 Rusty-dot Pearls Udea ferrugalis, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Grey Pine Carpet, 5 Green Carpets, Double-striped Pug, 14 Brimstone Moths, 5 Dusky Thorns, 7 Light Emeralds, Ruby Tiger, 5 Flame Shoulders, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 8 Square-spot Rustics, Cabbage Moth, 4 Common Wainscots, Centre-barred Sallow, 6 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, Frosted Orange, 2 Vine's Rustics, 3 Straw Dots and 28 Snouts.

Square-spotted Clay, North Elmham, 8th September

Rosy Rustic, North Elmham, 8th September

There were 2 Common Frogs on the sheet by the moth trap when I inspected it on the evening of 9th September.  I didn't see them eating any moths but got the distinct impression they were there to catch moths and not just passing.  Hope they didn't eat anything rare.

Common Frogs, North Elmham, 9th September

The best moth in the trap was this new-for-the-garden Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella.

Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 9th September

 Yet another Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella was notable too.

Marsh Dwarf Elachista alpinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 9th September

Other moths were Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, 4 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 5 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 3 Rusty-dot Pearls Udea ferrugalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Orange Swift, 2 Blood-veins, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Garden Carpets, Common Carpet, 5 Common Marbled Carpets, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, 10 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 2 Dusky Thorns, 5 Light Emeralds, Ruby Tiger, 2 Flame Shoulders, 16 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, 11 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 6 Square-spot Rustics, 5 Common Wainscots, 4 Flounced Rustics, 2 Rosy Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, Straw Dot and 37 Snouts.

Here are the Rosy Rustics alongside the Butterbur from a couple of nights previous.

 Butterbur from 7th September flanked by 2 Rosy Rustics, North Elmham, 9th September

Bugs consisted of 2 Birch Shieldbugs, 2 Forest Bugs and a new one for me: Pantilius tunicatus.

Pantilius tunicatus, North Elmham, 9th September