Record count of 331 straminella (and a few more interesting bits and pieces)

Compared to the excellent night of 23rd July there were more moths on 24th (645 vs. 594) but fewer species (120 vs. 127) and rather less quality.  The numbers were swelled by a record count of 331 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella.

Perhaps the best moth was a White-border Neb Isophrictis striatella, my second here and third anywhere.

White-border Neb Isophrictis striatella, North Elmham, 24th July

Other new moths for the year were Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, Bordered Beauty, 2 Black Arches, Copper Underwing and Twin-spotted Wainscot.

Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, North Elmham, 24th July

Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July

Bordered Beauty, North Elmham, 24th July

Black Arches, North Elmham, 24th July

Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 24th July

Twin-spotted Wainscot, North Elmham, 24th July

Other moths were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Maple Slender Caloptilia semifascia, Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 3 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 4 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 5 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 10 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 5 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Buff Arches, Least Carpet, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 9 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 12 Riband Waves, 2 Flame Carpets, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 7 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, 4 Common Carpets, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, 4 Early Thorns, 3 Scalloped Oaks, 2 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawk-moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, 18 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 4 Common Footmen, 3 Ruby Tigers, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 7 Flame Shoulders, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, Antler Moth, 4 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Mouse Moth, 7 Dun-bars, 2 Dark Arches, Double Lobed, 2 Cloaked Minors, Common Rustic, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, 2 Dusky Sallows, 2 Ear Moths, Fen Wainscot, 14 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, Straw Dot and Snout.

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 24th July

Double Lobed, North Elmham, 24th July

I often have problems with Blackbirds feeding on my discarded moths but this year a new problem cropped up from time to time - wasps attacking moths that I'd released from the trap.  This Poplar Hawk-moth seemed unable or unwilling to fly away from the attentions of the wasp (Common Wasp I think but I didn't check its face markings).  It was difficult to see what was going on exactly but I didn't see the wasp sting the moth and it seemed to be focusing on the wings, which it was possibly eating (cerrtainly damaging at any rate).

Poplar Hawk-moth attended by wasp, North Elmham, 24th July

Mayflies were 2 Pale Evening Duns Procloeon bifidum and 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Among the lacewings Dichochrysa ventralis was new for the year and there was 3 Cunctochrysa albolineata and 2 Micromus variegatus.

Dichochrysa ventralis, North Elmham, 24th July - showing its characteristic black-marked ventral surface

Caddisflies included Polycentropus irroratus and Tinodes waeneri, both new for the year, and Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus rhombicus.

Polycentropus irroratus (female), North Elmham, 24th July

Tinodes waeeri (male), North Elmham, 24th July

New bugs for the year were 2 Birch Shieldbugs, Phytocoris varipes and Psallus haematodes.  Other bugs were Forest Bug, Lygus pratensis, Megalocoleus molliculus and Trigonotylus caelestialium.

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 24th July

Psallus haematodes, North Elmham, 24th July

Megalocoleus molliculus, North Elmham, 24th July

There were 2 Ectopsocus barklice, one of which I checked and confirmed was my first Ectopsocus briggsi of the year.

Ectopsocus briggsi (male), North Elmham, 24th July

The click beetle Melanotus villosus was new for the year; other beetles were 2 Amara apricaria and Lagria hirta.

Melanotus villosus, North Elmham, 24th July

An excellent haul of good moths and other insects

Numerically the night of 23rd July wasn't the best this year, though not far behind with 594 moths of 127 species.  For quality though it was fantastic, with potentially 4 totally new moths, a new moth for the garden that is very unexpected inland and a range of other interesting species.  With several additions to the year list it brought my garden year list to 500 (I still need to check I haven't missed any off so it might be more).

One of the commonest and most widespread macro moths that I'd not previously seen anywhere finally gave itself up.  With a corner of one of its wings missing it won't be the tidiest specimen I'll ever see I hope, but nevertheless great to finally record an Olive.

Olive, North Elmham, 23rd July

A moth that looked like a White-line Dart ended up being a real conundrum, and one that is not yet solved.  I don't see White-line Darts very often and have never had one here before so although I was pretty sure it was a White-line Dart I thought I better keep it back to double check.  If I'd just taken a photo of it and let it go that would be the end of the story, a nice new addition to the garden list and that would be that.  White-line Darts can look very similar to Garden Darts, but as far as I know Garden Dart never shows the broad pale edges to the wings, the clear white lines and the dark spear marks towards the tip of the wing.  A few examples may show one or other of these features perhaps, but I have not seen anything to suggest they could ever show the lot in combination.  To all intents and purposes my moth was a straightforward White-line Dart.

But I didn't have time to look at it straightaway, and as it was dead by the time I did I thought I might as well dissect it - it could be useful to have its genitalia for reference when I get a trickier individual another time, I thought.  There are two features that separate female White-line Dart genitalia from Garden Dart - and this one, very clearly, showed both features of Garden Dart!  White-line Dart would be good, new for the garden, but Garden Dart would be even better - I've never seen one anywhere!  But I could not, and still cannot, reconcile this moth's external appearance with Garden Dart - surely it has to be White-line Dart?  Well, I sent photos of moth and genitalia off for a second opinion and received a response that agreed the genitalia were Garden Dart.  But when I pressed the matter to make sure he thought the external appearance was possible on Garden Dart I was advised not to record it as such but to keep the moth until such time as I can get it DNA-tested.  So for now it remains a mystery and isn't going down as anything apart from an either-or.

Apparently some authorities now think there are several different species of White-line Dart, at least two of which probably occur in Norfolk.  Maybe when this situation is clarified the identification of my individual will become clearer... or maybe not!

White-line Dart or Garden Dart, North Elmham, 23rd July

I probably won't record another new moth I caught that night either, though I'm sufficiently happy with the ID to count it for my own purposes.  I believe it is a Small Birch Pigmy Stigmella sakhalinella. It keyed to this species but keying alone can lead to erros with this group due to the similarities between the species, so I always like to check the genitalia against similar species. In this case the genitalia look fine for sakhalinella, I think they're wrong for the similar betulicola (but I'm not 100% sure as the reference material isn't entirely clear) but I can't find any reference material to compare with the also-similar microtheriella.  It's just about concivable if microtheriella has similar genitalia that it could be that species.  I think I need a little bit more information before I can record this officially, but it's going down on my personal list.

apparent Small Birch Pigmy Stigmella sakhalinella (male), North Elmham, 23rd July

I thought I'd seen this species before but it seems that I hadn't (at least not the adult, and I don't count leafmines on my list at the moment), so it was another lifer: Dark Alder Midget Phyllonorycter klemannella.

Dark Alder Midget Phyllonorycter klemannella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

One moth was more surprising than any of thes.  It feeds on Common Sea-lavendar and is found along the north Norfolk coast (and at Breydon Water in the east).  Until July 2018 there were no records of this species inland at all (in Norfolk that is - I don't know about elsewhere).  By Coleophora standards this is a highly distinctive and recognisable species - Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella.  There wasn't really any doubt about its ID but given how unusual this record was I did check its genitalia just to remove any question.  An inland record of this species wasn't quite unprecedented though - there were two more during the previous few days, one at Fakenham at one apparently caught at Narborough.  It was a good year for inland records of Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii - I wonder if this is coincidence or if they are linked in some way?

Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella, North Elmham, 23rd July

A Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea was only my second ever and other new moths for the year were Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Cock’s-head Bell Zeiraphera isertana, Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana and Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella.

Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea, North Elmham, 23rd July

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham, 23rd July

Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, North Elmham, 23rd July

Cock's-head Bell Zeiraphera isertana, North Elmham, 23rd July

Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana, North Elmham, 23rd July

Although I've seen a few Maple Slenders Caloptilia semifascia before I'd not seen one looking like this, with its broad rectangular costal spot.  There are plenty of photos of individuals like this online so presumably it's not an especially unusual form but it had me confused for a while.

Maple Slender Caloptilia semifascia (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd July

The other micros were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, 4 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 14 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 probable Orchard Ermines Yponomeuta padella, 5 Little Ermines Swammerdamia pyrella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 4 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 2 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, 3 Dark Nebs Bryotropha affinis, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, 5 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 4 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, 3 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Bright Bells Eucosma hohenwartiana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 286 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, 3 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 11 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 3 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella and Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla.

The rest of the macros were 3 Leopard Moths, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 2 Blood-veins, 4 Least Carpets, 8 Small Fan-footed Waves, 10 Single-dotted Waves, 9 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Magpie Moths, Scorched Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, 4 Willow Beauties, Common Wave, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 Pale Prominents, 2 Round-winged Muslins, 4 Rosy Footmen, 17 Dingy Footmen, 3 Scarce Footmen, 3 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, 8 Ruby Tigers, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Nutmeg, 3 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Knot Grass, Coronet, 2 Dun-bars, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Dark Arches, 2 Cloaked Minors, 2 Common Rustics (and another Common Rustic agg.), 4 Dusky Sallows, Ear Moth, Small Rufous, 12 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles, 2 Straw Dots and Fan-foot.

Lime-speck Pug, North Elmham, 23rd July

There were plenty of other insects too.  Small Spurwing Centroptilum luteolum was new for the year and other mayflies were Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, 2 Green Drakes Ephemera danica and 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita

Small Spurwing Centroptilium luteolum, North Elmham, 23rd July

Lacewings consisted of Chrysoperla carnea, 2 Dichochrysa flavifrons, Dichochrysa prasina and 4 Micromus variegatus; the caddisflies were 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa and 2 Grouse Wings Mystacides longicornis.

The bug Stenodema calcarata was new for the garden while Lygus pratensis and Phytocoris longipennis were new for the year.  Other bugs were 2 Forest Bugs and another Trigonotylus caelestialium.

Stenodema calcarata, North Elmham, 23rd July

Lygus pratensis, North Elmham, 23rd July

Phytocoris longipennis, North Elmham, 23rd July

There were also 3 species of leafhopper that were all new for the year, Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita, Balclutha punctata and a lifer for me, Eupterycyba jucunda.

Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita, North Elmham, 23rd July

Balclutha punctata, North Elmham, 23rd July

Eupterycyba jacunda, North Elmham, 23rd July

Finally there was also some interest among the beetles with Enochrus testaceus being a lifer, Bradycellus verbasci being new for the year, and also 2 Hydrobius fuscipes, Nicrophorus investigator, Lagria hirta and a rove beetle that I haven't managed to identify yet.

Enochrus testaceus, North Elmham, 23rd July

Dark Spinach and Oak Nycteoline

With 442 moths of 92 species, 21st July wasn't exactly a bad night but compared to the previous night it felt a lot quieter.  Indeed there was only one new moth for the year, a Straw Underwing, and nearly half of the moths were the same species: 219 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella.

Straw Underwing, North Elmham, 21st July

The other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, 7 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Apple & Plum Case-bearer Coleophora spinella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, Ghost Moth, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 11 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Small Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, Bordered Pug, V-Pug, Double-striped Pug, 5 Clouded Borders, Early Thorn, 3 Scalloped Oaks, 3 Willow Beauties, Pale Prominent, 3 Yellow-tails, Round-winged Muslin, 7 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, 4 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 12 Common Footmen, Ruby Tiger, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Brown-line Bright Eye, 2 Clays, 6 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 3 Dark Arches, Light Arches, Cloaked Minor, 3 Common Rustics, Dusky Sallow, 2 Fen Wainscots, 11 Uncertains, Rustic, Mottled Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Beautiful Hook-tip, Straw Dot and 2 Fan-foots.

4 speices of mayfly was good: there was Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, 2 Green Drakes Ephemera danica and 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Caddisflies were 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa and Athripsodes aterrimus.  Beetles consisted of another Amara apricaria, Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes and Hydrobius fuscipes.

The following night there were slightly fewer moths and slightly less variety (425 moths of 88 species) but there was some good quality among them including 4 new macros for the year: Dark Spinach, Lime-speck Pug, Coronet and Oak Nycteoline.  The Dark Spinach and Oak Nycteoline were both only my second records here.

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 22nd July

Coronet, North Elmham, 22nd July

Oak Nycteoline, North Elmham, 22nd July

The other moths were Barred White Clothes Moth Nemapogon clematella, Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, 8 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, 2 Four-spotted Obscures Oegoconia quadripuncta, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 5 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 204 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 5 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 22 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Ghost Moth, Buff Arches, Small Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 13 Single-dotted Waves, 7 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, 4 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 3 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, 4 Willow Beauties, Engrailed, Common Wave, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, Buff Footman, 11 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Turnip Moth, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, 3 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, 9 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle, Herald, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, Snout and 2 Fan-foots.

Another Conwentzia psociformis was good value, only my second example of this waxfly here following my first earlier this year.  There was also the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd July

There was some good quality among the other insects too including a new caddisfly for me, Tinodes unicolor.  A shame it didn't survive long enough for me to photograph it alive... Other caddis were Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus, Molanna angustata, Athripsodes aterrimus and Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis.

Tinodes unicolor, North Elmham, 22nd July

There was a new beetle for me too: Ophonus puncticeps.  Other beetles were Nicrophorus investigator, Orange Ladybird and Lagria hirta. There was also the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Ophonus puncticeps, North Elmham, 22nd July

Chris Mills invited me over to go through his moth trap at Themelthorpe, so I rocked up at his on the morning of 23rd to go through what he had caught the previous night.  Two of the highlights were Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella and Eyelet Sober Thiotricha subocellea, both species I haven't yet recorded here in North Elmham.

Orache Case-bearer Coleophora saxicolella (female, gen det), Themelthorpe, 22nd July

Other things I noted down (and the counts are conservative guesses in many cases) were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella, White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 5 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 4 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Lesser Tawny Tubics Batia lunaris, 3 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, probable Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Cnephasia sp., Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Diamond-back Marble Eudemis profundana, 8 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 30 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, probable Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Oak Eggar, Oak Hook-tip, 2 Chinese Characters, 3 Buff Arches, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Small Phoenix, 5 July Highflyers, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, 2 Early Thorns, 7 Willow Beauties, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pebble Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Black Arches, 4 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 6 Common Footmen, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Flame Shoulder, 8 Double Square-spots, 4 Clays, 7 Smoky Wainscots, Lunar-spotted Pinion, Small Clouded Brindle, 3 Common Rustic aggs., Beautiful Hook-tip and 2 Straw Dots.

Later that day I had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows where butterflies included 6+ Purple Hairstreaks and 2 Holly Blues.  There were a few moths too: Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis and Blood-vein.

Red Admiral, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Bugs included a mating pair of Forest Bugs, 2 Hairy Shieldbugs and a new species for me swept off Mugwort, Apolygus lucorum.

Forest Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Apolygus lucorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Other bits and pieces included Field Grasshoppers, the scorpion fly Panorpa communis and this larva I found on some Male Fern.  I think it may be one of the brown lacewings but have no idea how to tell which one, if indeed I am right.

unidentified larva, possibly of a brown lacewing sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Flies included the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (Marmalade Fly), a couple of Noon Flies Mesembrina meridiana which I don't have any record of having identified before and a dance fly which I think is probably Tachydromia umbrarum.  I found a key for these but struggled to use it as it contained so many terms I wasn't familiar with (mostly unhelpfully abbreviated).  There are a lot of similar species in the genus but this seems to be one of the commoner species and there weren't any couplets in the key leading to this species that I thought went the other way (but there were plenty for which I wasn't sure either way).

Marmalade Fly Episyrphus balteatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Noon Flies Mesembrina meridiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

probable Tacydromia umbrarum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July

Other things noted were the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus, a Negro Ant Formica fusca and a Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

Negro Ant Formica fusca, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd July