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 17 February 2021

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Slenders and Midgets (Gracillariidae) (part 2: Aspilapteryx, Calybites, Acrocercops, Leucospilapteryx and Callisto)

SLENDERS and MIDGETS (GRACILLARIIDAE) (continued)


Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella - 6 here between 26th July and 5th August 2019 represented a below average year for this species but 2020 smashed my record with 29 between 18th May and 29th August (peaking at 4 on 23rd and 26th July).  Similarly at the meadows, one in 2019 and 6 in 2020 (including an earlier one on 2nd May).

Ribwort Slender Aspilapterix tringipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019


Ribwort Slender Aspilapterix tringipennella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2020



Gold-dot Slender Euspilapteryx auroguttella - None.  This distinctive species looks like it should be common enough round here but it continues to studiously avoid my lights and net.  Its foodplant grows at the meadows so I shall have to look carefully for its mines in 2021.


Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella - Singles caught in my garden trap on 22nd and 24th July 2019 and 11th April and 5th and 19th August 2020.  I've only seen this species here twice before, both in 2016.

Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019


Little Slender Calybites phasianipennella, North Elmham, 5th August 2020



Brown Oak Slender Acrocercops brongniardella - I've not seen this species before, but I think I found the remains of a leaf-mine at the meadows on 20th September 2019.  As always, please correct me if I'm wrong - I'm not great with leaf-mines.

vacated leaf-mine of Brown Oak Slender Acrocercops brongniardella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th September



Mugwort Slender Leucospilapteryx omissella - Singles caught in the garden on 24th July and 20th August 2020.  At this point this was a species that wasn't on my radar and I hadn't previously identified, and I nearly mistakenly put these down as Brown Oak Slender Acrocercops brongniardella.  That caused me to re-examine my photos of my previous record of brongniardella (from here in 2016) and sure enough, that was in fact also omissella.

Mugwort Slender Leucospilapteryx omissella, North Elmham, 24th July 2020



Garden Apple Slender Callisto denticulella - My first ever example of this species was caught in my garden moth trap on 12th June 2020.

Garden Apple Slender Callisto denticulella, North Elmham, 12th June 2020


Next page: more Gracillariidae




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