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