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.

Saturday 23 September 2017

More Frits and a Dark Fleabane Neb

Flounced Rustic was new for the year on Sunday 13th August, the first of many of this common and not terribly exciting species.

Flounced Rustic, North Elmham, 13th August


It was a fairly quiet night - the other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 9 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Clouded Border, Willow Beauty, 3 Flame Shoulders, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 5 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Burnished Brass, Spectacle and Straw Dot. A Limnephilus lunatus was the only caddis.

Next day I took my parents round Foxley Wood where Silver-washed Fritillaries were abounding.  I put down 6+ in my notes but I've got 6 different individuals among my photos and I'm pretty sure I didn't photograph anywhere near all of them.



Silver-washed Fritillaries, Foxley Wood, 14th August


Another dozen species of butterfly included Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Brimstone, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Peacock (at least 30), Painted Lady, Comma, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Speckled Wood.

Brimstone, Foxley Wood, 14th August


Peacock, Foxley Wood, 14th August


Painted Lady, Foxley Wood, 14th August


Comma, Foxley Wood, 14th August


There were some good moths too.  There was masses of Fleabane flowering here and I looked hard to find a gelechiid that flies in the day and can often be found on Fleabane flowers, but which I'd never seen.  This was successful - I ended up finding 2 Dark Fleabane Nebs Apodia bifractella.  Perhaps surprisingly since this is a fairly well-covered site there don't appear to be any previous records for the 10k square.

Dark Fleabane Neb Apodia bifractella, Foxley Wood, 14th August


A patch of Goldenrod had a Bordered Beauty feeding on it, a moth I don't see very often.  Other moths recorded were Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Shaded Broad-bar, 2 Common Carpets, Small Phoenix and 2 Straw Dots.

A Viburnum Beetle Pyrrhalta viburni was another insect feeding on the Fleabane and a new species for me.


Viburnum Beetle Pyrrhalta viburni, Foxley Wood, 14th August


My second ever Damsel Bug was a new species for me too, Marsh Damsel Bug Nabis limbatus.  The only Damsel Bug I had seen previosuly was one I trapped in  Cornwall in 2014 - and it proved to be a first for Britain (Nabis capsiformis) so it's high time I found one of the common species in this family! A green mirid bug proved to be Neolygus contaminatus.


Marsh Damsel Bug Nabis limbatus, Foxley Wood, 14th August


Dragonflies included several Migrant Hawkers, a Southern Hawker and a few Common Darters.  These Dark Bush-crickets were nice to see - not one I find very often.


Dark Bush-crickets, Foxley Wood, 14th August


As usual I had little success identifying fungi.  I think these are Orange Oak Boletes though Orange Birch Bolete seems to be very similar (and perhaps other species too?).  I didn't notice what species of tree they were under but there were certainly plenty of oaks in the area (and there are oak leaves visible around the mushrooms in some of the photos).  (PS: thanks to James for confirming they are likely Orange Oak Boletes).



probable Orange Oak Boletes, Foxley Wood, 14th August


I think this one may possibly be an older specimen of the same species.

possible Orange Oak Boletes, Foxley Wood, 14th August


I wondered if this one may have been a younger specimen of the same species but James thinks it's probably a Cep Boletus edulis.

probable Cep, Foxley Wood, 14th August


This one looks quite distinctive but I'm not sure.  I was leaning towards Blusher but there are one or two similar species that I wasn't entirely sure about. I'm pleased to say James agrees with me!

Blusher, Foxley Wood, 14th August


Pretty sure I've seen these before.  I wondered if they were Sulphur Tuft but I've a feeling there was another species that I have mistaken for Sulphur Tuft before and maybe I've done the same again?  Nope, James has confirmed - they are indeed Sulphur Tuft!  Thanks again James!

Sulphur Tufts, Foxley Wood, 14th August


I'm not sure what these are, though possibly one of the milkcaps?  Yes, again thanks to James for confirming definitely one of the milkcaps and possibly Oak Milkcap Lactarius quietus.

possible Oak Milkcap, Foxley Wood, 14th August


I couldn't identify the next ones but James has suggested Saffron Bolete Leccinum crocipodium for this one.

Saffron Bolete Leccinum crocipodium, Foxley Wood, 14th August


He has suggested Deer Shield Pluteus cervinus for this one...


Deer Shield Pluteus cervinus, Foxley Wood, 14th August


And this one is a mould, Fuligo septa - thanks again James!

Fuligo septa, Foxley Wood, 14th August

2 comments:

  1. Hi Dave.

    I agree that the first lot are likely to be Orange Oak Bolete. The easiest way to rule out similar species is to cut one in half - that species bruises blue near the base.

    The bolete with the swollen base isn't a Leccinum - I think it's probably a young Cep (Boletus edulis)

    I agree with Blusher for the next one, although if you didn't see it 'blush' it can be confused with Amanita excelsa (+ Panthercap, but that is rare in Norfolk).

    Yes to Sulphur Tuft. Next one is definitely a Milkcap, perhaps Oak Milkcap (Lactarius quietus)

    Of the last three, I would suggest Leccinum crocipodium, Pluteus cervinus and the last is a slime mould, Fuligo septa.

    Regards,

    James

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks James - you're a star! Very much appreciated.

      Delete