Amazing aberrant Small Copper

Sunday 23rd September saw both Pine Carpet and Grey Pine Carpet added to the garden year list.  Pine isn't very common here but I was surrpised when I realised the Grey Pine was my first this year.  Also new for the year was the wonderful Pink-barred Sallow.

Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd September

Grey Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd September

Pink-barred Sallow, North Elmham, 23rd September

Other moths were Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 2 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, 4 Light Emeralds, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 12 Lunar Underwings, 2 Frosted Oranges, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and 10 Snouts.

Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, North Elmham, 23rd September

Caddisflies consisted of 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis, Limnephilus auricula, 7 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus.  Beetles were represented by Nicrophorus investigator and Aphodius rufipes.

The following night Brown-spot Pinion was new for the year.

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 24th September

Other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Riband Wave, Mallow, 5 Common Marbled Carpets, Willow Beauty, 2 Light Emeralds, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Centre-barred Sallow, 12 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Sallows, Frosted Orange, Silver Y and 4 Snouts.

Two other insects were new for the year and also my second ever: the mayfly Small Dark Olive Baetis scambus and the mirid bug Pantilius tunicatus.  The following caddisflies were also recorded: Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 7 Limnephilus lunatus, 2 Limnephilus sparsus and Limnephilus affinis.

Small Dark Olive Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 24th September

Pantilius tunicatus, North Elmham, 24th September

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy where I found this extraordinary Small Copper (flying with an ordinary one).  There are lots of named aberrations of Small Copper but this isn't one of them.  I presume it's a form of leucism with normally dark areas looking pale and whitish.

Small Copper ab. nov., Burnham Overy, 25th September

Also here a very worn Beautiful Groundling Caryocolum marmorea and the caddisfly Limnephilus auricula.  Later on a Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana at Ryburgh.

A good night for moths that night included my second ever Orange Sallow following one in my first autumn here in 2014.

Orange Sallow, North Elmham, 25th September

Also new for the year were 2 Black Rustics.

Black Rustic, North Elmham, 25th September

This Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis was a surprise - as the species is supposed to finish flying in July.  It was reasonably fresh so presumably an unusual second generation.

Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, North Elmham, 25th September

Other moths were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Small Blood-vein, Garden Carpet, Mallow, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 4 Dusky Thorns, Willow Beauty, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Common Wainscot, Brown-spot Pinion, 10 Lunar Underwings, 2 Sallows, Frosted Orange and 2 Snouts.

There was also a Chrysoperla carnea agg. (green lacewing), the caddisflies Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 8 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus marmoratus, the leafhopper Empoasca vitis and the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator.

I had taken the aberrant Small Copper home with me just in case it was necessary to properly document the unusual appearance and the specimen would be required - and also to get decent photos as it hadn't played ball in the field.  I was planning to return to Burnham Overy in the morning so if I didn't need to keep the specimen I would return it.  The feedback I received overnight suggested that there was no need to keep it so I duly released it back where I found it.  This time it settled in the marram grass and in the sunshine allowing a more natural photo than I'd managed yesterday.  I didn't find much else of non-avian interest in the dunes this time.

Small Copper ab. nov., Burnham Overy, 26th September

My wife has recently taken on an allotment in the village and I visited it in the afternoon.  I don't intend to get my hands dirty there but I might have a mooch around looking for insects from time to time!  Not much this time - just a Liocoris tripustulatus (bug) on some nettles and a Common Rough Woodlouse in the compost heap.

Confusing Ermine

Things started to pick up again on 14th.  One species was probabaly one that I've never seen before - problem is it could be one of 2 species I've never seen before, with a chance of another that I have seen.  Three species of Yponomeutids, Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, Apple Ermine Yponomeuta malinellus, Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella are supposed to be inseparable unless you know their foodplant, which in the case of isolated records of adults is pretty much impossible.  There are typical differences though.  Spindle is largest, on average, and has pure white background colour to the forewing including the cilia, Apple also has white background colour but may have grey cilia while Orchard usually has a greyish suffusion to the forewing and distinctly grey cilia.  Mine had really contrasting grey cilia, so can't have been Spindle, but pure white background colour to the forewings.  Size was good for Apple or Orchard, though within range for any of them.  With such white forewings I thought it unlikely to be Orchard, but I can't find any photos of Apple Ermine that have such distinct grey cilia.  There is a hint of what might be grey suffusion on the wings, but not as much as I would expect on Orchard.  I swayed between thinking Apple (because of the white background colour) and Orchard (because such contrastingly grey cilia seem to be more typical of that species), but it must go down as either or.  Actually I'm not 100% sure it's even that.  In the photos there does seem to be a slight greyish suffusion in a patch within the rear half of the wing.  I thought this was wear at the time but it's the same on both sides.  Could it even be Willow Ermine Yponomeuta rorrella?

Ermine sp. Yponomeuta sp., North Elmham, 14th July

Other highlights included Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, a species I saw at Bawdeswell a couple of times but haven't seen for 4 years.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 14th July

Also new for the year here were Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, White Satin, 2 Scarce Footmen, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Marbled Beauty.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 14th July

Scarce Footman, North Elmham, 14th July

Marbled Beauty, North Elmham, 14th July

Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 14th July

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham, 14th July

Other micros were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Variegated Golden Tortrixes Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, North Elmham, 14th July

Other macros were Ghost Moth, 2 Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 3 Rosy Footmen, 11 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Grey Dagger, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Rufous Minor, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 3 Common Rustics, 15 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Spectacle, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 14th July

Riband Wave (left) and Small Emerals (right), North Elmham, 14th July

Rufous Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

Some interesting bits and pieces among the other insects in the trap, including the Mayfly Baetis scambus, a new one for me.  The Hoverfly Baccha elongata was new for the house.  Caddisflies included Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus.

Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 14th July

Baccha elongata, North Elmham, 14th July