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 22 February 2019

Late season lull

There were two new moths for the year on 22nd August, the wonderful Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana and the more subtly attractive Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella.

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, North Elmham, 22nd August


Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd August


Other noteworthy moths included Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi and Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella.

Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella, North Elmham, 22nd August


The other moths were 3 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 3 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 4 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 13 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 8 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Small Purple & Gold Pyrausta aurata, Orange Swift, 2 Chinese Characters, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Green Carpet, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 6 Brimstone Moths, 3 Dusky Thorns, Engrailed, Common Wave, 3 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawk-moth, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Six-striped Rustic, 5 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Centre-barred Sallow, 15 Flounced Rustics, Spectacle, 2 Straw Dots and Snout.

Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, North Elmham, 22nd August


Mayflies and lacewings consisted of just Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus. There was a rather better crop of caddisflies though: Holocentropus picicornis, 5 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Crunoecia irrorata, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, Limnephilus lunatus and Molanna angustata.

Holocentropus picicornis (female), North Elmham, 22nd August


Leafhoppers included Empoasca vitis, a male (and thus identifiable) Kybos strigilifer, and a female (and thus unidentifiable) Edwardsiana sp.  Other bugs were Birch Shieldbug, 4 Forest Bugs, Black-kneed Capsid Blepharidopterus angulatus and Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus rugulipennis.

Black-kneed Capsid Blepharidopterus angulatus, North Elmham, 22nd August


Also a Common Frog, and one the following night too.

Black Slug agg. Arion ater agg. (left) and Common Frog (right), North Elmham, 23rd August


It was a quiet night for insects on 23rd - just 45 moths and a third of them were one species: Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Orange Swifts, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Double-striped Pug, Dusky Thorn, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Six-striped Rustic, Square-spot Rustic, White-point, Common Wainscot, Centre-barred Sallow and 15 Flounced Rustics.

There was just one mayfly, one lacewing and 2 caddisflies, and no bugs or beetles: Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Hemerobius lutescens, Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus marmoratus.

But if that was poor the next night was worse: just 9 speices: Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Brimstone Moth, Flame Shoulder, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 7 Flounced Rustics and Frosted Orange.  I did have one new species for the year though, albeit one I'd not looked very hard for: 2 Garden Snails.

It got even worse!  Just Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Orange Swift, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Square-spot Rustics and Flounced Rustic on 25th.  Now it really felt like the end of the summer!

The following day a Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella was seen at the meadows and that night things it was marginally better.  Moths were Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Yellow Shell, Light Emerald, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2 Square-spot Rustics and 3 Flounced Rustics.

Mayflies, lacewings and caddisflies were Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Chrysoperla carnea, 2 Hemerobius lutescens, Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus. 2 Forest Bugs were the only bugs but the barkfly Valenzuela flavidus was new for the year.

Valenzuela flavidus, North Elmham, 26th August


The following night was much better with over 100 moths.  Nothing especially remarkable among them, although 5 Vine's Rustics was the highest count I've had since 2014 and Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana is one that doesn't usually makes its way into my trap.  The rest were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 16 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 13 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Chinese Character, 4 Blood-veins, Single-dotted Wave, Double-striped Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 3 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawk-moth, Flame Shoulder, 4 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Nutmeg, Common Wainscot, 12 Flounced Rustics and 2 Snouts.

A Cunctochrysa albolineata was the only lacewing. Caddisflies were 4 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Small Silver Sedge Lepidostoma hirtum and 2 Limnephilus lunatus. 2 Aphodius rufipes and an Amara apricaria made up the beetles and I think this is probably a nymph of the barkfly Valenzuela flavidus.


probable Valenzuela flavidus nymph, North Elmham, 27th August


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