gobirding.eu Mothing Diary: Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Pyralids (Pyralidae) - part 2: Acrobasis to Ephestia (Knot-horns II)

PYRALIDS (PYRALIDAE) (continued)

Warted Knot-horn Acrobasis repandana - None. I'm yet to catch this species at home but I've found it at Bintree Wood so it's not far away.

Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella - At least 17 here between 16th July and 17th August 2019 which, although I didn't count them on a couple of nights, was almost certainly my poorest year for the species since I came to North Elmham - I've averaged over 30 and have never recorded it on so few nights (14 nights in 2019). In contrast my best year in 2020 with 46 over 20 nights between 12th July and 24th August. Also recorded next door, at the meadows and at Bintree Wood.

Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Bintree Wood, 24th July 2020

Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella - Singles caught in my garden on 9th and 11th July 2019 and then on 6 dates between 14th July and 16th August 2020. I hadn't trapped this species here (or anywhere) until 2017 but then caught 4 here in 2018. Not sure if it's increasing everywhere or just here, or if it's coming out of a trough or if I'd just been unlucky with it until recently. Also one at the meadows on 7th July 2019, the first I've caught elsewhere, and a whopping 25 at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.

female Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

male Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella, North Elmham, 9th July 2019

male Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella, North Elmham, 11th July 2019

male Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella, North Elmham, 18th July 2020

Marbled Knot-horn Acrobasis marmorea - None. I've never found this species anywhere but although it's scarce there is a good scattering of records so I wouldn't be surprised to find it locally.

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella - Caught in the garden on 25th July and 3rd August 2019 and 1st and 11th July 2020. I've had 1-2 here every full year I've been here. Also one at the meadows on 18th July 2020 and one at Bintree Wood on 24th July.

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham, 1st July 2020

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham, 11th July 2020

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta - 2 at Weybourne on 5th July 2019. None in 2020. I've caught this species at home twice (2016 and 2017).

Dark Spruce Knot-horn Assara terebrella - None. This used to be a rare moth but the number and spread of recent records suggests it won't be long before I find my first.

Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis - 3 in the garden between 25th and 28th July 2019, my worst year here - I average more than double this. 2020 more than made up for it with more than double my previous best total - 21 between 11th July and 17th August, including 4 on 12th August. Elsewhere 5 at the meadows and singles at Swanton Great Wood and Bintree Wood.

Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella - A new moth for me when I caught one at the meadows on 7th August 2020. This species seems to have colonised the county in around 2018 although there are still very few records away from the southern half of the county and the east.

Saltmarsh Knot-horn Ancylosis oblitella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Two-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella - A record 16 in my garden between 23rd June and 23rd July 2019. Peak count was 5 on 24th June, which is more than I'd ever had in a whole year before. 2020 was also a better year than usual with singles on 5 dates between 20th May and 20th June. Elsewhere, 11 at the meadows, 4 at Bintree Wood, 4 at Weybourne and 2 at Brancaster.

Two-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Large Clouded Knot-horn Homoeosoma nebullela - None. This species seems to be fairly widespread in Norfolk but it continues to elude me.

Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima - None. Although I'd only had one in 2018 I'd recorded 16 here over the previous 3 years so 2 years without any was unexpected.

Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella - 10 in the garden between 24th June and 25th August 2019, my equal-best year for this species here, and 4 between 17th June and 6th August 2020. Also 2 at the meadows and singles at Bintree Wood and Brancaster. Although it looked like this species, the Brancaster one was smaller than the given range for this species so was dissected just in case.

Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

male Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Pine-blossom Knot-horn Vitula biviella - None. I've never seen this species but it seems to have recently colonised Norfolk. Although there aren't many records away from Holme and Methwold there are a handful elsewhere including one at Ryburgh, so it might not be long before it turns up here.

Indian Meal Moth Plodia interpunctella - None. I've only ever seen this species at my in-laws in Kent but it's pretty widespread in Norfolk so might turn up. Not sure how often they come to light at sites where there isn't an indoors infestation though?

Cacao Moth Ephestia elutella - None. I've caught this species here once, in 2017.

False Cacao Moth Ephestia woodiella - Totals of 20 at home between 24th May and 11th July 2019 and 9 between 21st May and 2nd July 2020. I am averaging 13-14 a year here but annual totals have varied from zero (2015) to 32 (2016).