Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 12: Mythimna Wainscots and allies

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Striped Wainscot Mythimna pudorina - None.  I've never caught this species locally but David Knight catches them regularly less than a mile away so I must be in with a chance of having one round here sometime, at the meadows (where good habitat is probably closer) if not here in the garden.


Brown-line Bright Eye Mythimna conigera - 2019 was my best year for this species here with 26 caught between 18th June (my earliest ever) and 28th July, double the average annual tally here.  A more typical 15 here between 23rd June and 1st August 2020.  Elsewhere one next door on 7th August 2019 (my latest ever), 2 at the meadows, 1 at Brancaster and 2 at Weybourne.

Brown-line Bright Eye, North Elmham, 18th June 2019

Brown-line Bright Eye, North Elmham, 23rd June 2020

Brown-line Bright Eye, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens - Totals of 42 caught in the garden between 24th May and 24th September 2019 and 139 between 18th May (my earliest ever) and 8th September 2020.  2019 was my worst year ever and 2020 was close to my best (and included a record count of 20 on 12th August).  Elsewhere recorded next door, 7 at the meadows, one at Swanton Great Wood, 3 at Whitwell Street, one at Weybourne and 2 in Cornwall.  I don't think the colour of the hindwing is as clear-cut a feature as it's sometimes taken to be in separating challenging examples of Common/Smoky Wainscot - when the forewing is ambiguous the hindwing sometimes seems to be too and I've had genitalically-confirmed Common Wainscots with distinctly dusky hindwings.  I do sometimes doubt myself with certain examples from this pair and sometimes resort to gen detting the odd one to make sure I'm on the right track.

Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 24th May 2019

female Common Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

male Common Wainscot, North Elmham, 8th September 2020

Smoky Wainscot Mythimna impura - At least 80 here between 23rd June and 1st August 2019 though possibly slightly more as not counted on a couple of nights.  Even allowing for a few more on those nights this was my worst year here until 2020 when just 53 between 15th June and 20th August.  I average around 94 a year.  Elsewhere 25 at the meadows over 7 nights, 2 at Bintree Wood, 2 at Brancaster, 6 at Weybourne, about 20 at Hellesdon and my latest ever in Cornwall on 9th October 2020.

Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

male Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham, 30th June 2019 (this one bearing a resemblance to Southern Wainscot, but I gen detted to make sure)

Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Southern Wainscot Mythimna straminea - Singles in my garden on 22nd July 2019 and 24th July 2020, the first times I've caught this species here.  Also one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019, 2 at Hellesdon on 14th July 2019 and one at Bintree Wood the same night as at home, 24th July 2020.

Southern Wainscot, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

Delicate Mythimna vitellina - None.  I've never caught this species here, or indeed anywhere in Norfolk, but it's a reasonably regular migrant and sometimes crops up inland, so hopefully I'll get one here someday.  Quite surprising that I didn't catch any in Cornwall in early October 2020 as when I stayed at the same cottage for the same week in 2018 I caught a total of 106 there (and these were believed to be locally-bred individuals, at least in part).


White-point Mythimna albipuncta - 8 trapped in the garden between 22nd May and 12th September 2019 and 30 here between 3rd June and 7th September 2020.  The latter was my best year so far (I average about 13 a year) and included a record count of 5 on 8th August.  Elsewhere 2 next door, one at the meadows and one at Row Heath (West Runton) in 2019 but surprisingly since it was such a good year, none anywhere else in 2020.

White-point, North Elmham, 22nd May 2019

White-point, North Elmham, 12th September 2019

White-point, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

Clay Mythimna ferrago - Totals of 50 caught in the garden between 15th June and 29th July 2019 and 20 between 19th June and 31st July 2020.  I average about 53 a year here and 2020's total was my worst in the 6 years I've been here.  Elsewhere 7 at the meadows (on 4 nights), one at Bintree Wood, one at Brancaster and about 10 at Weybourne.

Clay, North Elmham, 19th June 2020

Clay, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Shore Wainscot Mythimna litoralis - One at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.  This species is unlikely to turn up here although there is a record from Hindolveston so you never know.

Shore Wainscot, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

L-album Wainscot Mythimna l-album - One at Tresidder (Cornwall) on 8th October 2020.  I'd caught 19 there in the same week in 2018 so that wasn't very good really!

Shoulder-striped Wainscot Leucania comma - Just 3 trapped here, between 14th and 26th June 2019 and 4 between 31st May and 11th June 2020.  That's now 4 out of 6 years that I've only caught 3-4 but the other 2 years produced far more (29 in 2015 and 15 in 2017).

Shoulder-striped Wainscot, North Elmham, 30th May 2019

Flame Wainscot Senta flammea - One at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th April.  I've never recorded this species locally but it does occur in the Wensum Valley (as this one was) so could potentially rock up round here somewhere - probably more likely at the meadows where there is Common Reed growing close by than here in my garden.

Flame Wainscot, Sculthorpe Moor, 26th April

Next page: more Noctuidae

Anania fuscalis for the third year

Had a look round Lolly Moor with Dave on Sunday 11th June (I know, I'm falling way behind again... will hopefully start catching up now the summer peak has passed).  For the third year running we had several Cinereous Pearls Anania fuscalis - the only site this species is currently known to occur at in Norfolk.  There was a record from near Attleborough in the mid 90s but our records at Lolly Moor over the last three years are the only others in Norfolk since the 1800s.  I can't believe the species isn't present at other sites - worth checking other damp meadows with Yellow Rattle growing.

We also recorded Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella, Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, Thistle Conch Aethes cnicana, White-barred Tortrix Olindia schumacherana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, probable Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana (had a pale hindwing but was quite worn so perhaps not safe to go on that feature; cirsiana occurs here as well and has similar genitalia) and 5 Grass Rivulets.

Buff Long-horn Nematopogon metaxella, Lolly Moor, 11th June

Thistle Conch Aethes cnicana, Lolly Moor, 11th June

probable Thistle Bell Epiblema scutulana, Lolly Moor, 11th June

Dave passed me this moth which he'd caught at home (Toftwood) for me to check - it was a Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana, a species only recorded in Norfolk half a dozen times.

Blotched Piercer Pammene albuginana, Toftwood, 10th June

Moths at home on the night of 11th included Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Oak Hook-tip, Dark Arches and Beautiful Hook-tip all new for the year.

Small Grey Eudonia mercurella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th June

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 11th June

Dark Arches, North Elmham, 11th June

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham, 11th June

Other moths were London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Common Swifts, 2 Currant Pugs, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Mottled Beauties, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 5 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Lychnis, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 2 Middle-barred Minors, Uncertain, 3 Mottled Rustics, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

Other insects in the trap included the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus and the bug Phylus palliceps which was new for the year.

Phylus palliceps, North Elmham, 11th June

New for the year the following night were Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Large Yellow Underwing, Clay and Smoky Wainscot.

Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, North Elmham, 12th June

Large Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 12th June

Clay, North Elmham, 12th June

Smoky Wainscot, North Elmham, 12th June

Other moths that night were 2 London Dowds Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 5 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Single-dotted Wave, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Barred Straw, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Light Emerald, 4 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 3 Ingrailed Clays, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, Middle-barred Minor, 2 Treble Lines, Uncertain, Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, 7 Straw Dots and Pinion-streaked Snout.

Other things in the trap inlcuded the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus, the caddisfly  Limnephilus lunatus, the beetle Aphodius rufipes and another beetle that was new for me, Adrastus pallens.

Adrastus pallens, North Elmham, 12th June

Lots of moths and a rare spider

Getting behind again as the peak moth season leaves me with far more to process than I have time to process.  I'm sure I'll catch up eventually, but I have a study full of material waiting to be examined and it isn't going to be quick!

Next up is 23rd June - over 200 moths of 72 species isn't bad I suppose, but not fantastic for this time of year. Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella was new for the house while Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana, Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, Privet Hawkmoth and Rosy Footman were new for the year here.

Rosy Footman, North Elmham, 23rd June

Broad-blotch Drill Dichrorampha alpinana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd June

Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, North Elmham, 23rd June

The others were 2 Cypress Tip Moths Argyresthia cupressella, 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 3 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Light Grey Torrixes Cnephasia incertana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 4 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 7 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Common Swift, Pebble Hook-tip, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, 4 Common Pugs, 4 Clouded Borders, 3 Scorched Wings, 2 Peppered Moths, 5 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Pale Oak Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, 2 Common Waves, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Light Emeralds, Elephant Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, 2 Buff-tips, 3 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 10 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Common Wainscot, Poplar Grey, 8 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, Dusky Brocade, 6 Middle-barred Minors, 2 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, 10 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles, Beautiful Hook-tip, 33 Straw Dots, 3 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Dusky Brocade, North Elmham, 23rd June

Other insects included the Mayfly Cloeon Dipterum, the Caddisfly Hydropsyche pellucidula (3 in fact) and a Cockchafer.

Cloeon dipterum, North Elmham, 23rd June

Next day was poorer with far fewer moths and only 47 species.  Among those Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Double Square-spot and Clay were new for the year.

Clay, North Elmham, 24th June

Double Square-spot, North Elmham, 24th June

Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th June

There was a good count of 22 Buff Ermines, but that's still a little way off my peak count last year.  The others were Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 11 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Common Swift, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, 3 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, Eyed Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 5 White Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Common Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 5 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, Uncertain, 2 Mottled Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles, 8 Straw Dots, Snout and Small Fan-foot.

Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, North Elmham, 24th June

Marbled Minor (female, gen det), North Elmham, 24th June

Privet Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 24th June

The only caddisflies identified were Hydropsyche pellucidula and Phryganea grandis.

Phryganea grandis, North Elmham, 24th June

Andy B likes his spiders and a little while ago after showing some to me at Burnham Overy he texted to say he'd found a really rare one.  Well on 25th June I returned to Burnham Overy and found Andy standing with another chap who was lying flat on his belly in the saltmarsh photographing something.  I wandered over and Andy showed me the rare spider he'd found - this one being an egg-sac carrying female: Yellow-striped Bear Spider Arctosa flavolineata.

Yellow-striped Bear Spider Arctosa flavolineata, Burnham Overy, 25th June

A Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella and 4 Cinnabars were the only moths seen but a Bee turned out to be a Red-tailed Cuckoo Bee, which from the range map in the new Bees book looks like is restricted to the NW coast in Norfolk, although the NBN Gateway shows it as being recorded fare more widespreadly in the county.  Not sure the reason for the discrepancy.

Red-tailed Cuckoo Bee Bombus rupestris, Burnham Overy, 25th June

A single Pyramidal Orchid as nice to see.