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.

Saturday, 27 March 2021

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Erebids (Erebidae) part 3: Fan-foots, Small Snouts, Beautiful Hook-tip and Red Underwings

EREBIDS (EREBIDAE) (continued)


Dotted Fan-foot Macrochilo cribrumalis - Trapped in the garden on 25th June 2020 and 2nd July, the first I'd caught here since 3 in 2015-16.  Elsewhere one at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020 and 3 at the meadows on 18th/23rd June 2020.

Dotted Fan-foot, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020


Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham, 25th June 2020



Fan-foot Herminia tarsipennalis - A total of 41 here between 24th June and 26th July 2019 was my worst year here but 2020 made it look good by returning just 16 between 19th June and 23rd July.  An average year here is 60.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows and one at Hellesdon.

Fan-foot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019



Small Fan-foot Herminia grisealis - I'd caught 54 here in my first 4 years 2015-18 with annual totals ranging from 8 to 24, so it was a bit of a shocker to have a completely blank year in 2019 followed by just a single one (on 26th June) in 2020.


Pinion-streaked Snout Schrankia costaestrigalis - Singles trapped here on 4 nights between 30th August and 24th September 2019 and on 20th August 2020.  I've had 3-6 here in each of the last 4 years but had a blank year in 2015.  Elsewhere one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019 and 4 in Cornwall on 6th/7th October 2020.


Blackneck Lygephila pastinum - None.  I was due a blank year or two after catching one, but only ever one, in each year between 2015 and 2018.


Waved Black Parascotia fuliginaria - None.  I've never seen this species and it's never been recorded round here, but it seems to be increasing in south Norfolk so it's perhaps just a matter of time before it turns up round here.  Hope so anyway.


Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula - Totals of 17 here between 23rd June and 24th July 2019 followed by 3 autumn records between 9th and 25th September, then 22 between 12th June and 30th July 2020.  Although the 3 in September 2019 represented my best ever autumn showing the overall totals of 20 and 22 were my worst in the 6 years I've been here - I had been averaging 50 a year.  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood and 2 at Weybourne.

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019


Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020



Beautiful Marbled Eublemma purpurina - None.  I've never seen this species and until very recently it didn't seem particularly likely that I would see one in Norfolk.  After the first in Norfolk in 2016 there were 5 in 2018, 5 in 2019 and then 30 in 2020.  Given the spread of records and some repeated records of fresh individuals at inland locations it is impossible to conclude that these are all migrants - the species is clearly breeding in the county now.  Currently all the records are north or east of a line curving round from Dersingham across to Stibbard and down to Tasburgh.  I'm only just on the wrong side of that line so if things carry on going the way they've started then it won't be long before I catch one too.  Bring it on!!!


Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini - None.  I've never seen one but rather like the previous species it's only the last couple of years that it has felt like I have anything more than an outside chance of finding one.  Compared to the last species there were a few more old historic records of migrants but the very recent colonisation follows a pattern that's uncannily similar except that there are a few records in the south-west quarter of the county too.  I'm very much looking forward to my first...


Red Underwing Catocala nupta - None in 2019 but 4 between 11th and 26th August 2020.  I have only ever caught 3 in my moth trap here, one in 2014 and 2 together in 2016, but in 2020 I started using sugar.

Red underwing, North Elmham, 11th August 2020


Red underwing, North Elmham, 26th August 2020



Dark Crimson Underwing Catocala sponsa - None.  Another former rare migrant that's very recently colonised the county.  Hopefully they will become a permanent fixture here and it won't be long before one finds its way to my sugar mix...


Burnet Companion Euclidia glyphica - None.  In Norfolk this species is largely restrited to the Brecks but there are a few records elsewhere.  As a day-flying species I'm not expecting to catch one in the garden but there is perhaps a small chance of me finding it at the meadows one day.


Mother Shipton Euclidia mi - None.  Another day-flying species that I don't particularly expect to catch at home but unlike the previous species there are a lot of records across Norfolk and away from the Brecks (although the Brecks is its stronghold).  It's not yet been recorded in this 10km square but I've had it this side of Beetley and I imagine it's quite likely to occur even more locally.


Next page: Noctuidae

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