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

Orange Sallow heads up another good night

An Orange Sallow was the headliner in the garden trap on 13th October, only the third adult I've ever seen.

Orange Sallow, North Elmham, 13th October

A Brown Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria simplicella was also new for the year, and only my second in the garden.  A Common Thorn Midget Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae was also my second here.

Brown Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria simplicella, North Elmham, 13th October

A count of 17 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella smashed my previous record for this species (7).

In total there were 37 species of moth which is a pretty respectable total for this time of year.  The others were 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 4 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Ashy Buttons Acleris sparsana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Single-dotted Wave, Treble Brown Spot, Riband Wave, Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 November Moths, Turnip Moth, 9 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Black Rustic, 8 Green-brindled Crescents, Brick, 2 Red-line Quakers, Yellow-line Quaker, 2 Brown-spot Pinions, 3 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, 7 Barred Sallows, Pink-barred Sallow, Sallow, Large Wainscot and Silver Y.

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 13th October

Brick, North Elmham, 13th October

In addition to the moths there was another 28 Chrysoperla carnea (green lacewings, 12 confirmed males and 16 presumed females).  Caddisflies consisted of 2 Brown Sedges Anabolia nervosa, Limnephilus affinis, 6 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus decipiens, Limnephilus flavicornis, 9 Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus.   The true (heteropteran) bugs were 4 Birch Catkin Bugs Kleidocerys resedae, Black-kneed Capsid Blepharidopterus angulatus, 2 Tarnished Plant Bugs Lygus rugulipennis and Pinalitus cervinus.

If there were a lot of leafhoppers the previous night, this night was crazy.  There were so many small green and  yellow leafhoppers I couldn't possibly check them all.  I checked 8 Kybos spp., but again they were all females so not resolvable anyway.  The yellow ones were mostly female Edwrdsiana spp. which again cannot be fully identified.  There were a couple of male Fagocyba cruenta there too.  The rest of the leafhoppers I did check more carefully - they were Balclutha punctata, Empoasca decipiens, 7 Empoasca vitis and Lindbergina aurovittata.

Balclutha punctata, North Elmham, 13th October

Lindbergina aurovittata, North Elmham, 13th October

There were also lots of Ectopsocus barkflies, of which I checked about 3 (all Ectopsocus petersi).  There weren't so many beetles though 4 Lagria hirta was a good count.  The only other beetle was Bradycellus harpalinus, only the second time I've seen this species.

Bradycellus harpalinus, North Elmham, 13th October

The following night was a completely different story with far less.  The moths were 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 November Moths, Turnip Moth, 4 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Black Rustics, 2 Green-brindled Crescents, Chestnut, 3 Yellow-line Quakers, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, 2 Lunar Underwings, Barred Sallow and Frosted Orange.  Caddisflies were 5 Limnephilus affinis, 9 Limnephilus auricula, 19 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus vittatus.

In stark contrast to the night before there was just a single leafhopper - mind you that was a better one, Fagocyba carri.  There was only a single Ectopsocus too, a female Ectopsocus briggsi.  There was also another barkfly, Valenzuela flavidus.

The following night was pretty so-so too with 17 species of moth and nothing very remarkable among them: Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Blood-vein, Mallow, 4 November Moths, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Black Rustic, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, Satellite, Red-line Quaker, 4 Yellow-line Quakers, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Sallow and Straw Dot.

There was one green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg. and a few caddis: Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis, 11 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 15 Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Halesus radiatus.  Only one leafhopper, Fagocyba cruenta, and one beetle, a Black Sexton Beetle.

Next day Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana made it on to the year list. I've managed one every full year I've lived here (i.e. since 2015) but have never had more than 2 in a year.

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 16th October

A Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana was equally unusual for the garden, though not new for the year.  A Pale November Moth was new for the year though.

Pale November Moth (male, 8th sternite det), North Elmham, 16th October

A Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis was unexpected being my first ever October record.  My previous latest was 29th August so this being a fresh individual was presumably part of a new second generation.

Rosy Tabby Endotricha flannneakus, North Elmham, 16th October

Other moths that night were Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, 13 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Mallow, Common Marbled Carpet, 13 November Moths, Feathered Thorn, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, White-point, Black Rustic, 12 Green-brindled Crescents, Brick, 3 Yellow-line Quakers, 4 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Sallow and Straw Dot.

Caddisflies were Limnephilus affinis, 9 Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus. The only other things I noted were 1-2 Ectopsocus petersi.

Agriphila latistria, Red Underwings and ANOTHER basaltinella

The night of 25th August was nearly as good as the previous three nights in terms of numbers and variety, if not quite so.  Only one moth was new for the year though, but a fairly decent one that was also new for the house - White-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila latistria.  A lot of people have been reporting this species in places it doesn't normally turn up recently - whether they are migrants or the species is just having a good year locally I'm not sure

White-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila latistria, North Elmham, 25th August

The other micros were Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 2 Little Ermels Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 2 Dark-triangle Buttons Acleris laterana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 9 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 5 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Macros consisted of 2 Orange Swifts, Blood-vein, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, 5 Green Carpets, Sharp-angled Carpet, Maple Pug, Lime-speck Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Treble-bars, 16 Brimstone Moths, 3 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 6 Dusky Thorns, 3 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 5 Poplar Hawkmoths, 2 Sallow Kittens, 2 Iron Prominents, Lesser Swallow Prominent, 2 Swallow Prominents, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 17 Flame Shoulders, 19 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 9 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, 9 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, 13 Square-spot Rustics, Cabbage Moth, 4 Common Wainscots, Straw Underwing, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Common Rustic, 10 Flounced Rustics, Burnished Brass, Spectacle, 37 Straw Dots and 3 Snouts.

Atrhripsodes albifrons, North Elmham, 25th August

Not one but 2 Red Underwings were the highlight of the following night.

Red Underwings, North Elmham, 26th August

It was otherwise much quieter than recent nights with Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Pearl Veneer Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 4 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 5 Green Carpets, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 2 Dusky Thorns, Poplar Hawkmoth, Iron Prominent, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 18 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 11 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 3 Small Square-spots, 10 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, 9 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Centre-barred Sallow, 14 Flounced Rustics, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y, Spectacle and 18 Straw Dots.

Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, North Elmham, 26th August

The following night I joined the Norfolk Moth Survey at Church Marsh, Surlingham.  I will do a separate post about that shortly, probably tomorrow, but in the meantime here's what I had at home that night.  There were a few more moths than the night before, and more variety, but none were new for the year.  The rarest in Norfolk terms, if not in my garden terms, was another Thatch Groundling Scoparia basaltinella, bringing my garden total, and the entire county total, up to 5.

Thatch Groundling Bryotropha basaltinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th August

Other micros were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 4 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis corylana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Acleris laterana agg., 7 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Plum Fruit Moth Grapholita funebrana, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, 6 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 27th August

The macros were 2 Orange Swifts, Maiden's Blush, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, 5 Green Carpets, Double-striped Pug, 2 Treble-bars, Yellow-barred Brindle, Clouded Border, 20 Brimstone Moths, 3 Dusky Thorns, 2 Common Waves, 2 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawkmoth, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Dingy Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 15 Flame Shoulders, 23 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, 13 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, 12 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Angle Shades, Dark Arches, 7 Flounced Rustics, 4 Burnished Brasses, 19 Straw Dots and 3 Snouts.

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 27th August

Other bits and pieces included the Green Lacewing Cunctochrysa albolineata, 3 Forest Bugs (Red-legged Shieldbugs), this Harlequin Ladybird and my first Hornet of the year.

Harlequin Ladybird, North Elmham, 27th August

Sprawler crawler

My first micro-caddisfly since owning the Caddisfly guide appeared on my car window when I was parked at Bintree Mill last Tuesday.  It proved to be Hydroptila sparsa.

Hydroptila sparsa, Bintree Mill, 10th May

That evening my first migrant moth of the year turned up in the trap, a Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella.

Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, North Elmham, 10th May

Also in there was this Narrow-winged Pug, a moth I've often seen on heaths but rarely at home (I had one worn specimen here last year).

Narrow-winged Pug, North Elmham, 10th May

Not much else: Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Shoulder Stripe (a different one to yesterday's, getting late for these), Streamer, Brindled Beauty, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, Least Black Arches and Hebrew Character.

Caddisflies included Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 2 Limnephilus auriculas and Limnephilus sparsus.

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy again for birding, but as always kept my eye out for moths and other things too.  The most obvious moths were Cinnabars, at least 5 of which were seen, but some smaller things too.  I found Feathered Bright Incurvaria masculella, Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella and 2 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella.  I always think the latter look rather special when fresh, a shiny silvery-grey colour with a bright white terminal band offset from the silvery-grey by a dark band.  But in my photos they always look really dull - I can't seem to capture their subtle beauty at all.

Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Burnham Overy, 11th May

Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella, Burnham Overy, 11th May

I also found this caterpillar on my camera-bag.  I'm not very good at caterpillar ID and don't have good references, but I eventually discovered that Sprawler caterpillar looks like this.  It's closest relatives don't, so presumably Sprawler it is.  Let me know if I'm wrong though, as always.

Sprawler, Burnham Overy, 11th May

Plenty of Small Coppers on the wing at the moment, and a Wall Brown.  Also saw a Common Lizard.

That night Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana and 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets were new for the year at home.

Brown-letter Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 11th May

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th May

Other moths in the trap consisted of Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Streamers, 3 Common Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Brindled Beauty, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, 2 Muslin Moths, 2 Cinnabars, 3 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and Herald.

Herald, North Elmham, 11th May

Other stuff included caddisflies Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus auriculas and Limnephilus sparsus, and a Black Sexton Beetle.  My first Mayfly of the year had to wait until the FSC guide arrived as I forgot to order that one with the others.  Sadly even with that guide I can't be 100% sure which species it is, though it clearly keys to one of the Baetis species.  Pretty sure I can rule out what seems to be one of the commonest species, Large Dark Olive Baetis rhodani - a number of features don't seem quite right especially the un-anulated tails.  I'm left with a choice between Scarce Olive Baetis buceratus and Medium Olive Baetis vernus.  These two species are essentially identical apart from slight differences in their genitalia... but unfortunately the guide does not extend to telling me what those differences are, so I can't check.  On the grounds of probability (given their repective statuses) it's likely Medium Olive Baetis vernus.

Olive Baetis sp., likely Medium Olive Baetis vernus but possibly Scarce Olive Baetis buceratus, North Elmham, 11th May

Catching up... now into October...

The end of September was very unremarkable for moths: 4 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Light Emerald, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spot Rustic, 4 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, Burnished Brass and Snout on 29th and Ashy Button Acleris sparsana (which was at least new for the year), 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Marbled Carpet, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Lunar Underwings and 2 Snouts on 30th.

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 30th September

October didn't start much better:

• Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Common Marbled Carpet, Turnip Moth, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 4 Lunar Underwings and Burnished Brass on 1st;
• 2 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Turnip Moth, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 10 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, Burnished Brass and Snout on 2nd;
• 2 Rhomboid Tortrices Acleris rhombana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Black Rustic, 3 Beaded Chestnuts, 11 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, Rosy Rustic and 3 Burnished Brasses on 3rd;
• Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Mallows, Common Marbled Carpet, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Beaded Chestnuts and 14 Lunar Underwings on 4th.

Things improved a bit on 5th October with two new for the year - Green-brindled Crescent and Barred Sallow - and also Pale Mottled Willow which was my first of the autumn.

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 5th October

Barred Sallow, North Elmham, 5th October

Pale Mottled Willow, North Elmham, 5th October

Plenty more to look at too: Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Blood-vein, 4 Mallows, 2 Dusky Thorns, Large Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, 4 Black Rustics, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, 4 Lunar Underwings, 3 Pink-barred Sallows, Sallow, Rosy Rustic, Burnished Brass and Snout.

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 5th October

Mallow, North Elmham, 5th October

6th October was another good night with 4 new for the year: 3 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella, Feathered Thorn, Blair's Shoulder-knot and Brown-spot Pinion. A Chestnut was also the first of the autumn.

Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, North Elmham, 6th October

Feathered Thorn, North Elmham, 6th October

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 6th October

Also recorded on 6th were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 2 Mallows, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, Turnip Moth, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 2 Black Rustics, 11 Beaded Chestnuts, 4 Lunar Underwings, Barred Sallow, Pink-barred Sallow, 3 Sallows, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and Snout.

Beaded Chestnut, North Elmham, 6th October

Not entirely sure which beetle this is.  Nicrophorus interruptus is supposed to differ from N. investigator in having the front orange band interrupted in the middle.  That would appear to be the case here, but some online photos of investigator (which certainly occurs here) seem similar.

Nicrophorus sp., North Elmham, 6th October

Also not sure about this leafhopper - can find several similar species, across different genera, but none quite like it.  Looks familiar though - have a feeling I've sorted one like this out previously.

unidentified leafhopper, North Elmham, 6th October

Also on 6th a birding visit to Burnham Overy turned up a single moth - Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea.