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.

Friday 30 November 2018

My first Scale-tooth Lance-wing (Phaulernis dentella)

Just two new moths for the year again on 4th June: Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana and Common Footman.

Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, North Elmham, 4th June


Other moths consisted of Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Common Swift, Pebble Hook-tip, Blood-vein, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 7 Silver-ground Carpets, 4 Green Carpets, 2 Common Pugs, 2 Grey Pugs, Light Emerald, Orange Footman, White Ermine, 4 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 6 Heart and Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Middle-barred Minor, 5 Treble Lines, Vine's Rustic, 2 Mottled Rustics and 8 Straw Dots.


Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, North Elmham, 4th June


Just one caddisfly (Limnephilus lunatus) and one bug, but the latter was new for the house: Psallus perrisi.

Psallus perrisi (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th June


A poor night on 5th June produced one nice new moth for the year, Brindled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana - only my second here and a species I don't see often anywhere.

Bridled Tortrix Ptycholoma lecheana, North Elmham, 5th June


Apart from that there was just White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 6 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, 5 Common Marbled Carpets, Green Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, 2 Light Emeralds, Eyed Hawk-moth, 2 Common Footmen, 3 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Small Square-spot, Shears, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, Middle-barred Minor, 5 Treble Lines, 2 Straw Dots and the caddisfly Limnephilus sparsus.

Next day another wander round the Cathedral Meadows provided a good haul of invertebrates including no less than four lifers.  My visits to the meadows this year have been very rewarding with lots of species I had not previously identified, but most of these come from groups that I haven't studied much.  I've seen some good moths here, but between late April when I started and late November when I'm writing this only two moths have been entirely new for me.  One of these was on 6th June, netted along the track - a Scale-tooth Lance-wing Phaulernis dentella.


Scale-tooth Lnace-wing Phaulernis dentella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June


Other moths were 3 Yellow-barred Long-horns Nemophora degeerella, 6 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, 4 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Shell and Green Carpet; also the leaf-cone of Common Slender Gracillaria syringella.

Pea Moth Cydia nigricana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June


Other bits and pieces included Banded Demoiselle, Dark Bush-cricket nymph, the Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis, Garden Chafer, the soldier beetle Cantharis livida, 7-spot Ladybird, the hoverlfly Volucella bombylans, the sawfly Tenthredo arcuata, Red-tailed Bumblebee, Strawberry Snail and Garden Snail.  Another bee keyed out as Broad-margined Mining Bee Andrena synadelph, a new species for me.


Broad-margined Mining Bee Andrena synadelph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June


Volucella bombylans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June


This fly turned out to be a Marsh Snipefly Rhagio tringarius, a species that I've probably seen before but hadn't previously identified.

Marsh Snipefly Rhagio tringarius, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June


This rather attractive Cucumber Spider appears to be Twin Cucumber Spider Araniella opisthographa if I'm not mistaken.  I find it pretty hard to see the relevant details that enable identification of these spiders, even under a microscope, but this one seemed to fit oposthographa best I think.


Twin Cucumber Spider Araniella opisthographa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June


Found another Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella when I got home.  New for the year that night were Barred Marble Celypha striana and Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, and there was also Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Treble Brown Spot, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, Green Carpet, Freyer's Pug, 5 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, 3 Light Emeralds, Eyed Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, Common Footman, 4 White Ermines, 13 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Ingrailed Clay, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shears, 4 Common Wainscots, 2 Brown Rustics, Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, Silver Y, Spectacle, Straw Dot and the caddisflies Plectrocnemia conspersa and 2 Limnephilus lunatus.

A good afternoon at the meadows

Had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows at North Elmham on the afternoon/evening of 3rd June and found a decent selection of wildlife.  Dragonflies included 2 Emperors and butterflies included a Common Blue; there were two displaying Green Drakes (Mayflies) Ephemera danica, the green lacewing Chrysopa perla, a Coniopterix Waxfly (a female so not identifable to species) and the Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis.

Common Blue Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Chrysopa perla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Plenty of moths, the highlights of which were 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, Obscure Drill Dichrorampha aeratana and Small Yellow Underwing in the lower meadows and White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi and Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana along the disused railway.

Obscure Drill Dichrorampha aeratana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Other moths were Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, 2 Yellow-barred Long-horns Nemophora degeerella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Hedge Case-bearers Coleophora striatipennella, Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana, 11 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Silver-ground Carpet, Cinnabar, 4 Silver Ys and 4 Straw Dots.

Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Bugs included a Parent Bug and the mirid bug Psallus perrisi, and there was the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus.

Psallus perrisi (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Graphopsocus cruciatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


A good number of beetles included 4 Garden Chafers, Cantharis rufa, Cantharis livida, 2 24-spot Ladybirds, 3 Swollen-thighed Beetles, 3 Grammoptera ruficornis, Phyllobius pomaceus and  Phyllobius roboretanus.

Garden Chafer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Cantharis rufa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Swollen-thighed Beetle (female), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Grammoptera ruficornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Phyllobius roboretanus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Hoverflies included Sphaerophoria taeniata (a new one for me), Eristalis horticola, Helophilus pendulus and Volucella bombylans.  Among the Hymenoptera were Small Black Ant Lasius niger, the sawfly Tenthredo arcuata, Tree Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee and Early Bumblebee.

Spaerophoria taeniata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Helophilus pendulus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Volucella bombylans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Tenthredo arcuata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Tree Bumblebee, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


Early Bumblebee, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June


I managed to identify two spiders - Common Cucumber Spider Araniella cucurbitina and Metellina mengei.


Cucumber Spiders Araniella sp. - the lower one seemed to check out as a female cucurbitina


Freyer's Pug and Small Angle Shades were the only new moths for the year at home that night.

Freyer's Pug, North Elmham, 3rd June



Small Angle Shades, North Elmham, 3rd June


Other moths were 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 9 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Lesser Pearls Sitochroa verticalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, 3 Pebble Hook-tips, Blood-vein, Treble Brown Spot, Flame Carpet, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Garden Carpets, 3 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, Currant Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Pale Oak Beauty, Common Wave, 2 Light Emeralds, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, Swallow Prominent, Marbled Brown, 9 White Ermines, Cinnabar, 7 Heart and Darts, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Bright-line Brown-eye, 6 Common Wainscots, 3 Brown Rustics, 4 Treble Lines, 5 Mottled Rustics, Silver Y and 8 Straw Dots.

There was also the Mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, the caddisflies Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus lunatus and a Water Boatman that was new for the house: Callicorixa praeusta.

Callicorixa praeusta, North Elmham, 3rd June

Wednesday 28 November 2018

A new lacewing: Sympherobius pygmaeus

The moth trap highlight on 2nd June wasn't a moth, but a lacewing.  I aim to identify all the lacewings I catch now and it's not very often I find a new species.  This was a brown lacewing, though smaller and darker than the commoner species I catch regularly so I knew it was going to be something interesting.  It turned out to be Sympherobius pygmaeus.  There are Norfolk records from 1991 and 1994 but none since, unless there have been others in the last year or two that I've not yet heard about.



 Sympherobius pygmaeus, North Elmham, 2nd June


There were a couple of decent moths too - Oblique Carpet, my second example here of this species that is very scarce in Norfolk away from the Broads, and Scallop Shell - again my second example here though it turned out to be the first of 5 here this year.

 Oblique Carpet, North Elmham, 2nd June


Scallop Shell, North Elmham, 2nd June


Other new moths for the year were Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Sharp-angled Carpet and Light Emerald.

Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd June


Mottled Marble Bactra furfurana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 2nd June


Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham, 2nd June


Other moths that night were 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 7 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 12 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 6 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 4 Common Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Treble Brown Spot, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, Mottled Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Common White Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Marbled Brown, Pale Tussock, 2 White Ermines, Cinnabar, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, 6 Treble Lines, Mottled Rustic, 2 Spectacles and 4 Straw Dots.

Caddisflies consisted of Plectrocnemia conspersa, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus sparsus, Micropterna lateralis and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis, the first and last of which were both new for the year here.

Plectrocnemia conspersa, North Elmham, 2nd June


The next day my next-door neighbours popped round to ask me about some caterpillars they'd found in their garden.  I went round to have a look and found a communal web full of Small Eggar caterpillars (at least 30 visible).  With them breeding a stone's throw from my garden it's amazing I've never caught one, but this does seem to be a species that doesn't come to light readily.

Small Eggar caterpillars, North Elmham, 3rd June

A caddisfly lifer and a host of new moths for the year

The problem with being so far behind is I don't remember the circumstances of some of the records, so I fear some of the accounts will be even dryer than normal.  Hey-ho, I'll do my best...

I don't recall why a moth-trapping session at the Cathedral Meadows produced such a low number of moths (given it was a good night at home) - it might of been the night my generator packed up shortly after starting as it ran out of oil.  Anyway a Lobster Moth was nice, but otherwise the moths were fairly unremarkable with Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 6 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, 6 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 8 Common Swifts, 4 Green Carpets, White Ermine, 2 Flame Shoulders and 6 Middle-barred Minors.

Lobster Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June


There were some other note-worthy insects, including the Mayfly Caenis horaria (one of the Angler's Curse species, and the first one of these I've postitively identified).

Caenis horaria, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June


There was a Hawthorn Shieldbug, and caddisflies included my first ever Hydropsyche contubernalis, 3 Phryganea bipunctata and 20 Grouse Wings Mystacides longicornis.

Hydropsyche contubernalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June


Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June


There were also a couple of insects I couldn't identify: one a Water Boatman which turned out to be a female - you need a male to identify them to species level, and the other a beetle (family Hydrophilidae I think) which should prove identifiable but which I've so far been unable to key out successfully.  Update December: I finally managed to identify the beetle - it was Enochrus melanocephalus, a new one for me.

Water Boatman sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June



Enochrus melanocephalus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June


That night I had the Mayfly Caenis horaria at home too, and also another insect that was new for the house, Macrocera phalerata.  I don't usually do flies except for hoverflies and a small number of other distinctive species, but Macrocera are pretty distinctive with their long legs, ridiculously long antennae and heavily patterned wings.

Macrocera phalerata, North Elmham, 1st June


It wasn't too shabby a night for moths with no less than 17 new moths for the year: Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella (only my second at home), 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Oak Hook-tip, Green Pug, 4 Scorched Wings, Peppered Moth, Ingrailed Clay, Tawny Marbled Minor and Middle-barred Minor.


Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, North Elmham, 1st June


Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 1st June


Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham, 1st June


Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 1st June


Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, North Elmham, 1st June


Twin-bnarred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, North Elmham, 1st June


Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 1st June


Peppered Moth, North Elmham, 1st June


Ingrailed Clay, North Elmham, 1st June


Tawny Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st June


Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham, 1st June


Strictly speaking you have to gen det Buff Ruff Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella to positively identify them, but I usually have a pretty good idea of what they are going to be without getting them under the microscope, but in order to record them accurately and gauge relative abundance of the different species I normally gen det each one I catch to make sure I have an accurate record.  I had to draw a line today though, as there were no less than 51 Coleophora caespititiella - or at least 51 moths that I'm pretty sure were casspititiella.  I did check 17 of them, and sure enough all these did prove to be casspititiella, but I couldn't justify wading through the whole lot of them this time and let the rest go.

Other moths that night were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Hedge Case-bearers Coleophora striatipennella, Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 5 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 11 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 4 Common Swifts, Chinese Character, 2 Cream Waves, 2 Treble Brown Spots, Flame Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Garden Carpets, 9 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, 5 Mottled Pugs, 9 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Scorched Carpet, 2 Brown Silver-lines, 2 Brimstone Moths, Pale Oak Beauty, Privet Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, 3 Orange Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 3 Heart and Darts, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 4 Treble Lines, 3 Spectacles and 7 Straw Dots.

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 1st June


Three of the five caddisflies recorded were new for the year: Hydroptila sparsa, Oxyethira flavicornis and Limnephilus flavicornis. The other two were Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche pellucidula.

Hydroptila sparsa, North Elmham, 1st June


Oxyethira flavicornis, North Elmham, 1st June


Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 1st June



Also new for the year were 4 males of the leafhopper Oncopsis flavicollis and the soldier beetle Cantharis rufa.

Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 1st June


Cantharis rufa, North Elmham, 1st June


Other insects included the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, the mirid bug Psallus varians, 2 Black Sexton Beetles and a Common Wasp.