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.

Thursday 7 February 2019

Summer Fruit Tortrix

A Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella was new for the year on 14th August.

Firethorn Leaf-miner Phyllonorycter leucographella, North Elmham, 14th August


Other moths were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 53 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 4 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Maiden's Blush, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, Grey Pine Carpet, Lime-speck Pug, Currant Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, 5 Double-striped Pugs, 4 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 4 Dusky Thorns, Light Emerald, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Common Wainscot, 3 Copper Underwings, Straw Underwing, 15 Flounced Rustics and 6 Straw Dots.

Square-spotted Clay, North Elmham, 14th August


The only mayfly was a Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and the brown lacewings were 2 Hemerobius lutescens and Micromus variegatus.  Among the caddisflies Lype phaeopa was new for the year; the others were Crunoecia irrorata, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Molanna angustata.

Lype phaeopa (female), North Elmham, 14th August


A Birch Shieldbug was the only bug but beetles included one new for the house - the weevil Curculio venosus - and one new for the year - the water beetle Ilybius ater.  Other beetles were Amara apricaria and 10 Bradycellus verbasci.


Curculio venosus, North Elmham, 14th August


Ilybius ater, North Elmham, 14th August


The following night was good with a totally new moth for me in the garden trap - a Summer Fruit Tortrix Adoxophyes orana.  Up to this decade there were just 5 records of this species in Norfolk, 3 of which were in 1953.  Things picked up a bit recently with a further 10 records prior to 2018 when there was another the same night as mine and another two nights later.


Summer Fruit Tortrix Adoxophyes orana, North Elmham, 15th August


Another new moth for the year was Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella - just my fourth record of this species.  A Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella was my third this year but numerically the best moth of the night - although my sixth it is only Norfolk's 14th record.  I suspect macro fans will be more impressed by the Butterbur though.

Vetch Sober Aproaerema anthyllidella, North Elmham, 15th August


Drab Clothes Moth Haplotinea insectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 15th August


Butterbur, North Elmham, 15th August


Other moths that night were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Blackthorn Slender Parornix torquillella, Red Birch Midget Phyllonorycter ulmifoliella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 61 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Currant Pug, 6 Double-striped Pugs, Scorched Carpet, Latticed Heath, 3 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, 2 Willow Beauties, Light Emerald, Swallow Prominent, 7 Flame Shoulders, 5 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Six-striped Rustics, Common Wainscot, Copper Underwing, Straw Underwing, Angle Shades, Common Rustic, 12 Flounced Rustics, 4 Vine's Rustics, 6 Straw Dots and Snout.

Mayflies were 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum and 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. There was a great selection of lacewings: 2 Chrysopa commata, 2 Chrysoperla carnea (plus a presumed female), Dichochrysa flavifrons, 2 Dichochrysa prasina, Hemerobius humulinus, Hemerobius lutescens and 6 Micromus variegatus. Also a waxfly that was almost certainly Conwentzia psociformis - currently female Conwentzia cannot be positively identified but all the males I've recorded have been psociformis. Moreover it is thought that the number of segments in the antennae may prove a reliable means of separating females, in which case the 37 segments would confirm this was psociformis. Caddisflies were 4 Hydropsyche siltalai and Leptocerus tineiformis.  There were 3 Birch Shieldbugs including a pair copulating, the leafhopper Lamprotettix nitidulus and another Curculio venosus,

Lamprotettix nitidulus, North Elmham, 15th August



Curculio venosus, North Elmham, 15th August

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