Eyed Hawk, a new froghopper and other bits and pieces

There were no stand-out highlights in the moth trap on 3rd September, though an Eyed Hawk-moth is always nice, especially after things have slowed down in the autumn.  The others were Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Light Emeralds, 12 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spot Rustic, Nutmeg, 3 Common Wainscots, 5 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic and Straw Dot.

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 3rd September

There was also a Hornet and the following caddisflies: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula and 7 Limnephilus lunatus.

Moth trapping at the meadows the following night produced a reasonable variety for this late in the  season: Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Chinese Characters, Blood-vein, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Sharp-angled Carpet, 3 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, Common Wave, Light Emerald, 4 Flame Shoulders, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 35 Square-spot Rustics, White-point, Brown-spot Pinion, 4 Centre-barred Sallows, Vine's Rustic, Spectacle, Straw Dot and 2 Snouts.

White-point, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Just one mayfly noticed, a Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita.  A good variety of caddisflies though: Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus auricula, 30 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Leafhoppers included a probable female Macrosteles sexnotatus and a new species for me, Aphrodes makarovi.

Aphrodes makarovi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Beetles included Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes, Pea-leaf Weevil Sitona lineatus and, feeding on Burdock flowers, Curtonotus aulicus.

Curtonotus aulicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

At home that night Pine Carpet was new for the year.  Other highlights were Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella and Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella. The former was my third this year of a species I hadn't previously recorded here and the latter was my fourth this year of a species that until this year hadn't been recorded anywhere else in Norfolk.

Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

By recent standards 32 species in a night was excellent - the rest were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 6 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 4 Blood-veins, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, 3 Light Emeralds, 13 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Square-spot Rustics, Nutmeg, Angle Shades, Flounced Rustic, 4 Vine's Rustics, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and 4 Snouts.

Mayflies and lacewings were 3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, Cunctochrysa albolineata and Hemerobius humulinus.

There were very large numbers of caddisflies in the trap, though no unusual species among them: 10 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 3 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 13 Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus flavicornis, 46 Limnephilus lunatus, 2 Limnephilus marmoratus and 3 Limnephilus sparsus.

Not much else noted - Forest Bug, the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator, 5 Hornets and a Common Frog.

The following night the leafhopper Kybos betulicola appeared in my study

In the moth trap there were two new moths for the garden year-list, Brown-spot Pinion and Lunar Underwing.

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 5th September

Lunar Underwing, North Elmham, 5th September

Other moths were Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, Engrailed, Light Emerald, Flame Shoulder, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Frosted Orange, Vine's Rustic and 3 Snouts.

Other insects included the mayfly Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, the brown lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, the caddisflies 3 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 4 Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus flavicornis, 16 Limnephilus lunatus, 3 Limnephilus marmoratus and 2 Limnephilus sparsus, a Harlequin Ladybird and 2 Hornets.

Moth numbers continued to dwindle with the following on 6th: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Single-dotted Wave, Brimstone Moth, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings and Setaceous Hebrew Character.  There was one mayfly (Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum), one beetle (Bradycellus verbasci) and these caddisflies: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus flavicornis, 6 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Next day a walk round the meadows produced a few insects including Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Small Copper and Comma.

Small Copper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

A White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella was the only adult moth found but vacated leaf-mines of Scrubland Pigmy Stigmella plagicolella and 2 Apple Leaf-miners Lyonetia clerkella were also seen.

vacated leaf-mine of Scrubland Pigmy Stigmella plagicolella in Blackthorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

vacated leaf-mines of Apple Leaf-miners Lyonetia clerkella in Wild Cherry, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Other insects included 2 7-spot Ladybirds, the hoverfly Myathropa florea, a Turnip Sawfly and lots of wasps feeding on ivy.  They included lots of Common Wasps, at least one German Wasp and 2 Hornets, but among them I had brief views of a Colletes bee which was very probably an Ivy Bee.  Ivy Bee was new to science as recently as 1993 and arrived in the UK in 2001, reaching Norfolk by 2014.  It is now common in many places but as hard as I tried to find one at the meadows this autumn this brief sighting was the nearest I got.  Sadly it wasn't quite good enough to be 100% sure - I believe there are one or two other Colletes species that can visit ivy at this time of year and my views were not sufficient to rule out one of them.

Turnip Sawfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Shaking some Field Maple keys produced the barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi, a harvestman and 2 spiders.  The latter were I think immature, or at least I could not see enough detail in their epigyne to be able to match them to any species, but I think they were an Araniella sp. and a Philodromus sp.  My references on harvestmen are sparse but from searching the internet I'm pretty sure this one was Paroligolophus agrestis, a species I hadn't previously identified.

Ectopsocus briggsi (female), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Philodromus sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Paroligolophus agrestis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

At home that night a small selection of moths consisted of Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Blood-vein, Double-striped Pug, Lilac Beauty, Early Thorn, Light Emerald, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Square-spot Rustic and 2 Common Wainscots.  There were 2 Hornets and the only other insects noted were caddisflies: 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 10 Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Limnephilus marmoratus.

2 Sallows were new for the year the following night.

Sallow, North Elmham, 8th September

Other moths were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Chinese Character, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Garden Carpets, Treble-bar, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Dusky Thorns, Early Thorn, 2 Light Emeralds, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown-spot Pinion, Lunar Underwing and Snout.

Other insects included 3 mayflies, all Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, 2 green lacewings, both Cunctochrysa albolineata, 4 Forest Bugs and 2 beeetles, both Aphodius rufipes.  Caddisflies were Hydropsyche siltalai, 5 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 15 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus sparsus.
 

A few interesting insects at the meadows

Southern Hawker, 2 Speckled Woods, Field Grasshopper, Hornet and Common Carder Bee were among the insects seen at the meadows on the afternoon of 1st September.  There was also a new froghopper for me, Neophilaenus lineatus.

Neophilaenus lineatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st September

Shaking ash keys produced a few more including Common Green Capsid Lygocoris pabulinus, a Common Green Shieldbug, a 7-spot Ladybird, a small black ichneumid that is probably Gelis agilis and 5 Common Earwigs (including a juvenile which I retained in the hope that I could string it into one of the smaller earwig species - I failed but it was interesting to see it had moulted into an adult by the following day).

Common Green Capsid Lygocoris pabulinus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st September

Common Green Shieldbug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st September

probable Gelis agilis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st September

Common Earwig, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st-2nd September (before and after moult)

A quick sweep of some Broom also produced a few bits and pieces including another spider that I think was Xysticus cristatus (another presumed immature female) and two new bugs for me, Orthotylus concolor, and Broom Psyllid Arytaina genistae.  The latter was to prove very common here, with lots more records over the following months.

Orthotylus concolor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st September

Broom Psyllid Arytaina genistae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st September

I remainded out until it got dark and most of the following moths were found in torchlight: 2 White-headed Ermines Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Blood-vein, Green Carpet, Double-striped Pug, 3 Brimstone Moths, 6 Square-spot Rustics, Angle Shades and 4 Snouts.

 That night an Old Lady was the best moth at home, the only one I recorded last year (and there were none the year before).  Other moths were Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Blood-veins, Single-dotted Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Yellow Shells, Light Emerald, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Common Wainscot, 2 Flounced Rustics and 2 Frosted Oranges.

Old Lady, North Elmham, 1st September

Caddisflies consisted of 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 8 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus marmoratus. Other things included the brown lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, the bug Phytocoris tiliae, the beetle Aphodius rufipes, a Hornet and a Common Frog.

Phytocoris tiliae, North Elmham, 1st September

The following night the garden moth trap produced Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Chinese Character, Green Carpet, Large Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Centre-barred Sallow, 4 Flounced Rustics and 2 Straw Dots. Also the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, 3 caddisflies, all Limnephilus lunatus and a Hornet.

A walk round the meadows on 3rd didn't end up with many records but some good ones.  A Maple Midget Phyllonorycter acerifoliella was only my second record ever (though slightly disapppointing as I was sure it was my first having completely forgotten about one I apparently saw at Creaking Gate Lake in 2013!).

Maple Midget Phyllonorycter acerifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd September

More unexpected were a number of other small white moths seen in flight.  I netted four of them, from two different meadows, and all four were Poplar Bent-wings Phyllocnistis unipunctella.  It's a species I don't see very often (have only ever seen three times) and I wouldn't expect to see such numbers away from poplars.  Well in fact there is a stand of poplars about 300m away from the north-east corner of the meadows, about 400m away from the furthest of these moths, so this is presumably where they had all come from.

Poplar Bent-wings Phyllocnistis unipunctella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd September

There was a Mottled Grasshopper calling, the only record I had of this species at the meadows last year (though I didn't search for grasshoppers very rigorously).  There were 2 Chrysoperla carnea (green lacewings) and 2 Valenzuela flavidus (barkflies) on sycamore keys, Lygus pratensis (a mirid bug) and Harlequin Ladybird in ash keys, and a female Edwardsiana leafhopper (most likely Edwardsiana rosae) at some cherry.  Also a Muntjac across the river.

A new psyllid and a Mere Wainscot

A wander round the meadows on 30th August produced a nice selection of insects including 8 Common Darters and both Field and Meadow Grasshoppers.  Butterflies included Large, Small and Green-veined Whites, Small Copper, Common Blue, Comma, Red Admiral and at least 17 Speckled Woods.

Large White, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Small Copper, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Common Blue, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Speckled Wood, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Not many moths seen - just a Yellow Shell and some leafmines (at least one occupied) of Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella.

occupied leafmine of Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Shaking ash keys into a net produced a few insects including at least 10 green lacewings (all those checked were Chrysoperla carnea), Common Earwigs, 7-spot and Harlequin Ladybirds and a new one for me, the (relatively) large green psyllid Psyllopsis fraxinicola.

Psyllopsis fraxinicola, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Elsewhere around the meadows there were the hoverflies Eupeodes latifasciatus and Eristalis pertinax, and at least 3 Hornets.

Eristalis pertinax, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

An attempt to identify some spiders was met with limited success.  I think this one from Ash keys was probably an Araniella sp., but was immature preventing a full ID.  However it did moult, but although I could just make out its epigyne then, it wasn't clear - it seemed to look closer to Araniella cucurbitina but wasn't really clear.  Maybe still not fully mature, or is it actually something else entirely?

possible immature Common Cucumber Spider Araniella ccuurbitana, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August - top photo was taken on the day, lower photo taken a few days later after a moult

The epigyne wasn't clear on this one either (immature?) but a combination of features leads me moderately satisfied that it was Xysticus cristatus.

Xysticus cristatus, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Slightly easier were Garden Spider Araneus diadematus and Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis.

Nurseryweb Spider Pisaura mirabilis, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Wildflowers included a good display of Autumn Hawkbit.

Autumn Hawkbit, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

Thanks again to James Emerson for help with identifying some fungi.  Among those identified were Brown Mottlegill, Pleated Inkcap, Sulphur Tuft, Dryad's Saddle, Bolete Mould and Hogweed Powdery Mildew.  Others not fully identified included Bolete spp. and Agaricus sp.

Hogweed Powdery Mildew, North Elmham Catherdal Meadows, 30th August

It wasn't a great night for moths that night, but Mere Wainscot was nice, my fifth here.  Other moths were 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Small Dusty Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Latticed Heath, Common Wave, Large Yellow Underwing, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Square-spot Rustic, Common Wainscot, 4 Flounced Rustics and Snout. The only other insect of taxa that I record was the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus.

Mere Wainscot (male, gen det), North Elmham, 30th August

August went out with a whimper,  Just a small handful of moths: Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Orange Swift, Large Yellow Underwing, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 5 Square-spot Rustics, Centre-barred Sallow and 4 Flounced Rustics.  Also the brown lacewing Hemerobius lutescens and caddisflies 3 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Ceraclea albimacula.

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 31st August