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.

Wednesday 12 December 2018

White Birch Case-bearer (Coleophora betulella)

After a good night on 5th July, and a Currant Clearwing to pheromone lure during the day, there was another good night on 6th July with 464 moths of 114 species.  Prize among these was my first ever White Birch Case-bearer Coleophora betulella.  Maybe not everyone's cup of tea I'll admit - it was a pretty worn specimen and there wasn't a hope of identifying it based on its external features.

Currant Clearwing, North Elmham, 6th July



White Birch Case-bearer Coleophora betulella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th July


Quite a lot of other new moths for the year too (for the garden - had seen some of these elsewhere): Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, Lesser Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, 12 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Brown Scallop, Scalloped Oak and Small Rufous.

Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 6th July


Lesser Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, North Elmham, 6th July


Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th July


Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, North Elmham, 6th July


Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, North Elmham, 6th July


Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, North Elmham, 6th July


Brown Scallop, North Elmham, 6th July


Small Rufous, North Elmham, 6th July


The rest of the moths were 10 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 3 Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, 2 Hawthorn Ermines Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 7 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana, 5 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, 3 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 8 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Many-plume Moths Alucita hexadactyla, 80 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 2 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, 3 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Meadow Greys Scoparia pyralella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 19 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 5 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia woodiella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Chinese Character, Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Blood-vein, 3 Small Blood-veins, 9 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 11 Single-dotted Waves, 17 Riband Waves, 4 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, Common Carpet, Barred Straw, July Highflyer, Scallop Shell, Small Rivulet, Sandy Carpet, 4 V-Pugs, 4 Double-striped Pugs, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Clouded Borders, 3 Early Thorns, Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Common Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 3 Elephant Hawk-moths, Yellow-tail, 12 Rosy Footmen, 3 Dingy Footmen, Buff Footman, 30 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, Flame, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, 2 Dot Moths, Clay, 4 Smoky Wainscots, Marbled Beauty, Brown Rustic, 3 Dark Arches, Middle-barred Minor, Common Rustic, 34 Uncertains, 4 Rustics, 5 Mottled Rustics, 4 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot, 9 Snouts, 14 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, North Elmham, 6th July


The mayfly Lake Olive Cloeon simile was new for the year. 

Lake Olive Cloeon similie, North Elmham, 6th July


One of 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita moulted from sub-imago to imago the following day:



Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, North Elmham, 6th July


Lacewings consisted of Chrysoperla carnea agg., Cunctochrysa albolineata and Dichochrysa flavifrons.  Among the caddisflies Molanna angustata was new for the house and Crunoecia irrorata new for the year.  The others were Hydropsyche pellucidula, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa and Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus.

Molanna angustata, North Elmham, 6th July


Crunoecia irrorata, North Elmham, 6th July


There were 5 Iassus lanio (leafhoppers), 2 Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva and 4 Lagria hirta (another beetle).

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