Moulting mayflies, a new beetle, another Thatch Neb and a Pied Smudge

A quick moth-trapping session at the meadows on 28th August produced a nice selection of moths: Skin Moth Monopis laevigella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 2 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis corylana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Chinese Character, Common Carpet, 4 Brimstone Moths, Heart and Dart, 3 Flame Shoulders, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 5 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, 20 Square-spot Rustics, Nutmeg, Common Wainscot, 6 Centre-barred Sallows, 2 Copper Underwings, 4 Vine's Rustics, Straw Dot and Snout.

Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th August

Centre-barred Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th August

There were 4 mayflies which I think were all Pale Wateries Baetis fuscatus. I took a sub-imago male and female home to check and both emerged into imagos the following day.

Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus (male sub-imago top photo, moulted to imago in other photos), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th-29th August

Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus (female sub-imago top photo, moulted to imago in lower photo), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th-29th August

There were quite a lot of caddisflies, most of which I didn't retain for checking (for example there were loads of Hydropsyche sp.).  The ones I did identify were Ithytrichia lamellaris, Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum, 6 Limnephilus lunatus, Molanna angustata and 3 Athripsodes albifrons.

Ithytrichia lamellaris (male), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th August

Polycentropus flavomaculatus (male), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th August

I only identified two beetles, a Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes and a species I'd never recorded before, Cymbiodyta marginellus.

Cymbiodyta marginellus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th August

The highlight of my garden trap that night was my eighth Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella and third of the year.  It is, however, the first time I cannot claim a monopoly of this species in Norfolk as were, at last, two more records from other locations in Norfolk in 2018.

Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 28th August

Other moths were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 3 Orange Swifts, 2 Small Dusty Waves, Brimstone Moth, Engrailed, Light Emerald, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Antler Moth, 3 Common Wainscots, 9 Flounced Rustics, 2 Vine's Rustics, Straw Dot and Snout.

There was also one mayfly: Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum.  Caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai and 3 Limnephilus lunatus. There was also a Hornet.

The following night the best moth was found in the garden at dusk: new for the year, Pied Smudge Ypsolopha sequella.

Pied Smudge Ypsolopha sequella, North Elmham, 29th August

Moths caught in the trap were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 5 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, Small Dusty Wave, Brimstone Moth, Common Wave, Large Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 4 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, 8 Flounced Rustics, Vine's Rustic, Straw Dot and Snout.

Other insects were Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (mayfly), Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus (caddisfly) and Ilybius fuliginosus (water beetle).