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 11 January 2019

New bugs keep on coming, and a new moth for the garden

After 4 new bugs the previous day it was pretty impressive that I recorded another 5 new bugs in the moth trap on 27th July.  There were fewer moths (just 282 of 68 species and none new for the year) but the bugs made it a worthwhile catch.

The new bugs included Compsidolon salicellum and Psallus falleni. The other heteroptera were Birch Shieldbug and Megalocoleus molliculus, the latter my third this year of a species I recorded for the first time this year.

Compsidolon salicellum, North Elmham, 27th July


Psallus falleni, North Elmham, 27th July


Megalocoleus molliculus, North Elmham, 27th July


There were 3 leafhoppers, all Kybos spp.  Two were females and thus unidentifiable but the male eventually turned out to be Kybos strigilifer, my first ever confirmed example.

Kybos strigilifer (male), North Elmham, 27th July


There were also 2 psyllids, and both were new species for me.  One relatively big and obvious one was Psallus alni and the other was far trickier to identify but after much gazing down the microscope and at the keys I eventually concluded was Cacopsylla pulchra (update 28th Jan: but after examining a subsequent specimen I think I can see where I probably went wrong keying this - the subsequent individual, and probably this one too, was Cacopsylla brunneipennis).

Psallus alni, North Elmham, 27th July


probable Cacopsylla brunneipennis, North Elmham, 27th July


There was also an unprecedented influx of what I call greenfly.  I had assumed that there were a number of different species (and that I had no means of identifying them) but one source I've since found implies that they are all Rose Aphids.  As I didn't retain any I can't check that, but whatever there were there were literally hundreds of them in the trap.  I've never had anything like that before.

The micro moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Common Case-bearer Coleophora serratella, 4 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 115 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 28 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Small Purple & Golds Pyrausta aurata, 10 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis and 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis.

Common Case-bearer Coleophora serratella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 27th July


Macros consisted of 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Shaded Broad-bars, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Early Thorn, 8 Dingy Footmen, 5 Common Footmen, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 11 Flame Shoulders, Least Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, 3 Dun-bars, 2 Cloaked Minors, Lesser Common Rustic, 3 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, Silver Y, Spectacle and 9 Straw Dots.

Other insects included the mayflies 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum and 4 Pale Evening Duns Procloeon bifidum, the green lacewings Chrysoperla carnea (a confirmed male and 2 presumed females) and Dichochrysa flavifrons, the brown lacewings Hemerobius lutescens (new for the year) and 4 Micromus variegatus, the caddisflies 2 Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 7 Limnephilus auricula, 2 Bradycellus verbasci (beetles), 2 Harlequin Ladybirds, a Marmalade Fly Episyrphus balteatus and 2 Hornets.

Next day at the Cathedral Meadows Essex Skipper was the best of the butterflies.

Essex Skipper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July


Dragonflies included Banded Demoiselle and Common Darter.

Bamded Demoiselle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July


Common Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July


Moths were Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 3 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis and Yellow Shell.

There was a Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita (a mayfly) and both Field and Meadow Grasshoppers.  There were 20 7-spot Ladybirds, 2 Marmalade Flies Episyrphus balteatus, a Common Wasp and a Garden Bumblebee.

Common Wasp, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July


Garden Bumblebee, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th July


That night there were only 49 species of moth in the garden, but one of them was new for the garden, Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, and another new for the year, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella.


Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, North Elmham, 28th July


Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, North Elmham, 28th July


The other 47 were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 5 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 55 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 19 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 3 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, 2 Magpie Moths, Scorched Carpet, Coxcomb Prominent, Yellow-tail, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, 2 Ruby Tigers, Turnip Moth, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic, Uncertain, 2 Rustics, Silver Y, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

There wasn't much else apart from moths either: the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus, the caddisflies 3 Limnephilus rhombicus, the mirid bug Lygus rugulipennis and a Hornet.

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