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.

Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Flat-bodies (Depressariidae) (part 1: Semioscopis, Luquetia and Agonopterix)

FLAT-BODIES (DEPRESSARIIDAE)


Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana - 2 at the meadows and one in the garden trap, all on 22nd April 2019.  None in 2020.  I've only recorded this species at home once before, on 21st April 2018.

Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019


Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, North Elmham, 22nd April 2019



Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella - 3 in the garden between 1st and 18th June 2019 but only one in 2020, on 15th June.  I do quite well for this species here with between 2 and 6 each year I've lived here up until the singleton in 2020.  2019 was the first time I recorded one anywhere else, though only just up the road at the meadows (on 23rd June).

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019


Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019



Red-letter Flat-body Agonopterix ocellama - None.  I've recorded this species here twice (2016 and 2018).


Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea - One in my garden trap on 11th April 2020 was my third following records here in 2016 and 2018.  Then a day-flying one netted at the meadows on 2nd May and another netted (after dark) at Frost's Common on 21st May.

Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea, North Elmham, 11th April 2020


Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2020



Sallow Flat-body Agonopterix conterminella - None.  I've never seen this species and probably wouldn't have included it here as a species likely to occur here in future except that there were 2 records in central Norfolk in 2020 (Dave N in Dereham and Keith in Litcham).


Broom Flat-body Agonopterix scopariella - None.  I'm quite keen to see this species having had it on my list for a short while before realising I'd made a slightly embarrassing error.  There was quite a bit of Broom by the railway at the bottom of the meadows so I was quite hopeful, but chances have been reduced since the Mid-Norfolk Railway have decimated the Broom.


Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella - Singles in the garden trap on 17th April and 28th August 2019.  None in 2020, my first blank full year since moving here (1-3 records each other year).

male Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th April



Black-spot Flat-body Agonopterix propinquella - None.  I'm yet to see this here in North Elmham (my only record was from Bawdeswell in 2012).


Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella - 10 in the garden trap between 9th April and 16th June 2019 and another 3 between 22nd August and 12th September.  Slightly more in 2020 with a less obvious distinction between flight periods - 15 between 22nd April and 6th September.  Both fairly average showings.  Also 3 at the Cathedral Meadows on 22nd April and 15th September (2) 2019 and one at Whitwell Street in September 2020.

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 9th April 2019



Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana - 26 here between 25th January and 26th March 2019 then one on 25th May and 7 between 7th July and 14th August.  A total of 34 made it my worst year here, though 2 previous years scored 35 so not far behind, but 2020 was worse with only 15 - 11 between 16th February and 22nd April and 4 between 13th July and 8th August.  I suspect this is the bottom of cyclical fluctuation rather than a long-term decline, but if I had to pick a moth to go extinct then this would be pretty high up on my list of candidates...  Elsewhere a total of 43 at the meadows (mainly by torchlight and mostly in 2019) and 1 at Swanton Great Wood.

female Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana  North Elmham, 21st March 2019


female Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana  North Elmham, 26th March 2019


male Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana  North Elmham, 3rd August 2019



Large Carrot Flat-body Agonopterix ciliella - None.  I suspect this species has been massively over-recorded in the past and have checked every heracliana carefully for several years, dissecting the majority.  Having never found ciliella, even among the larger darker examples with pinkish underparts I have to conclude that this species isn't very common!  Now that it is deemed Grade 4 (dissection required to confirm the record) hopefully we will get a clearer picture of exactly how common or scarce it is.  I may have just been unlucky of course...


Dusted Flat-body Agonopterix assimillella - None.  I have only recorded this species once here (or anywhere), in 2017.


Straw Flat-body Agonopterix kaekeritziana - None.  I have recorded this species once here, in 2016.


Gorse Flat-body Agonopterix umbellana - None.  This is maybe the next most likely Agonopterix to be added to my local area list if not my garden list.


Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa - 2 at the meadows on 22nd August 2019.  Neither were particularly obvious, being quite worn and lacking the dark fringe, so I resorted to gen detting to confirm them.  Also one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019.  None in 2020.  I'd only seen one of these before, in my garden in 2017.

male Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019


female Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019



Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana - One here on 9th April 2019 and then 5 between 27th July and 18th September 2020.  These doubled the number I've seen here since moving in in 2014 (2 in each of 2015 and 2016, singles only in 2017 and 2018).  One of the most attractive Agonopterix in my opinion, not that it has very strong competition.

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 9th April 2019


Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 18th September 2020



Angelica Flat-body Agonopterix angelicella - None.  Another one that I have a reasonable chance of recording locally (there is Angelica growing locally, including sometimes just below the meadows), but haven't done so yet.


Coastal Flat-body Agonopterix yeatiana - None.  Again, one that could turn up locally (despite its common name there are plenty of inland records too and there is Wild Carrot growing along the railway at the bottom of the meadows).  I'm yet to see it in Norfolk though...


Next page: more Depressariidae plus

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