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 7 December 2018

Gold-sheen Clothes Moths and another insectella

My first Gold-sheen Clothes Moth Nemapogon ruricolella for the garden came to a pheronomore lure for Yellow-legged Clothes Moth last year.  My second came to the same pheromone lure this year, on 25th June.  Probably it was no coincidence that my third came to my Robinson trap overnight that very same night.  I can only guess that it was attracted to the garden by the pheromone lure, didn't go in the trap so was still in the garden when the light trap switched on and got caught by that instead.  This is still a rarely-recorded species in Norfolk with just 6 post-Victorian records prior to these but half of those were mine (all from different locations) and I can't help thinking that this species is being overlooked because they don't come to light traps very often.


Gold-sheen Clothes Moths Nemapogon ruricolella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 25th June


Four new moths for the year in the trap that night were Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Rosy Footman and Short-cloaked Moth.  The clothes moth seems to be on the increase in Norfolk - I had the first post-Victorian record at Warham Greens in 2014 followed by two more here at home in 2015.  There were three more records elsewhere in the county in 2016-17, but this is still a good record for the time being.

Drab Clothes Moths Haplotinea insectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th June


Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 25th June


Short-cloaked Moth, North Elmham, 25th June


Other moths were 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Barred Straws, Willow Beauty, 2 Privet Hawk-moths, Common Footman, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Clubs, 6 Heart and Darts, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Double Square-spot, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Smoky Wainscot, 2 Common Wainscots, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 6 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, 2 Straw Dots and Snout. Also the caddisfly Hydropsyche pellucidula and a Common Frog.

Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, North Elmham, 25th June


The following night saw another wave of new moths for the year, viz. 3 Plain Conches Phtheochroa inopiana, Rose Tortrix Archips rosana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Buff Arches, Yellow Shell, Haworth's Pug, 2 Wormwood Pugs, Scarce Footman and Rustic.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 26th June


Rose Tortrix Archips rosana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June


Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, North Elmham, 26th June


Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 26th June


Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, North Elmham, 26th June


Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, North Elmham, 26th June


Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, North Elmham, 26th June


Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June


Beautiful Plume Ambvlyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 26th June


Buff Arches, North Elmham, 26th June


Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 26th June


Haworth's Pug, North Elmham, 26th June


Rustic, North Elmham, 26th June


With the others the species total hit 94, not bad but some way to go to the peak counts possible at this time of year.  The others were 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 4 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 21 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 8 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 Ghost Moths, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 21 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, 8 Barred Straws, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Barred Yellows, 3 Sandy Carpets, Common Pug, 3 Grey Pugs, V-Pug, 6 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Small Yellow Waves, 3 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 4 Mottled Beauties, 4 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Eyed Hawk-moth, Rosy Footman, 5 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, Turnip Moth, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 2 Flame Shoulders, Ingrailed Clay, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 4 Smoky Wainscots, 4 Common Wainscots, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, 2 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, 4 Uncertains, 3 Mottled Rustics, Burnished Brass, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Straw Dots, 6 Snouts and 6 Fan-foots.

Other insects included the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg., the caddisfly Limnephilus sparsus and an Orange Ladybird.

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