Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 7: Minors to Sallows

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Rosy Minor Litoligia literosa - None.  I've only ever seen this species at the coast but there are quite a few records locally including some very nearby, so it must be high up on the "next most likely new moth for the garden" list.


Cloaked Minor Mesoligia furuncula - At least 13 in the garden between 7th July and 21st August 2019 (not counted on 2 nights but unlikely to have been many more than singles).  That was about average (then 15 a year) but in 2020 I caught a record 53 including a peak count of 12 on 31st July, 3 times my previous highest count.  Elsewhere recorded next door on 4 consecutive nights in 2019, one at the meadows in 2019 and 11 there in 2020 over 2 nights.

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham, 14th July 2019

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Marbled Minor Oligia strigilis - Totals of 10 confirmed in the garden between 26th May and 25th June 2019 and 12 between 20th May and 25th June 2020.  I'd been thinking that I wouldn't bother confirming all the Marbled Minor aggs. from 2019 to save time (and moths) but there were so few I only let one go unconfirmed in the end.  The average annual tally here is 17-18.  Also 4 at the meadows in 2019.

male Marbled Minors, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

male Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 5th June 2019

male Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 18th June 2019

female Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 30th May 2020

male Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 17th June 2020

Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia latruncula - 6 caught in the garden between 7th June and 18th July 2019 and 8 between 20th May and 27th June 2020.  2019 was my worst year to date for this species - I catch 14 a year on average.

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 4th July 2019

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 14th July 2019

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 3rd June 2020

male Tawny Marbled Minor, North Elmham, 27th June 2020

Rufous Minor Oligia versicolor - Singles trapped and confirmed at home on 15th and 21st July 2019 - my third consecutive year of recording 2 here (following 5 in 2015 and 10 in 2016).  Better in 2020 when 5 between 26th June and 13th July.  Also one at the meadows on 7th July 2019.

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 15th July 2019

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 21st July 2019

male Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

female Rufous Minor, North Elmham, 9th July 2020

Marbled Minor agg. Oligia strigilis agg. - In addition to those detailed above, 3 at home, 4 at the meadows and 2 at Weybourne.  The following chart shows the relative flight times of the 3 species based on records here from 2015 to 2020.  Throughout this time I identified all individuals throughout their flight periods, with the exception of the a few random individuals that got away.

Middle-barred Minor Oligia fasciuncula - Totals of 28 trapped at home between 1st and 28th June 2018 and just 4 between 21st May and 23rd June 2020.  I started with 59 in 2015 and each year since has been worse than or the same as the year before, but the 4 in 2020 was especially lame.  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows on 4 dates (including a later one on 7th July 2019).

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Orange Sallow Tiliacea citrago - One at the meadows on 15th September 2019; none in 2020.  I've caught 4 of these in the garden, in 2014, 2017 (2) and 2018.

Orange Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th September 2019

Barred Sallow Tiliacea aurago - 6 in the garden between 30th September and 11th October 2019 and just one in 2020, on 16th October.  I've had up to 21 in a year here and never less than 6 before (the poor total in 2020 may have been partly down to me being away in Cornwall for a few days during its peak flight period).  Also one on Ivy at the meadows on 4th October 2019.

Barred Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Pink-barred Sallow Xanthia togata - 12 caught in the garden between 28th September and 7th October 2019 and 7 between 22nd September and 14th October 2020.  Excluding 2020 when I was away for a few days during the peak flight period, the annual average here is 15-16.  Elsewhere 2 on Ivy at the meadows on 4th October 2019 and 4 in Cornwall in early October 2020.

Pink-barred Sallows, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Sallow Cirrhia icteritia - Totals of 18 trapped in the garden between 21st September and 15th October 2019 and 21 between 15th September and 16th October 2020 (during which flight period I was away for a few days).  The annual average here is about 22.  Elsewhere 2 on Ivy and blackberries at the meadows and one in Cornwall.

Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Sallow, North Elmham, 18th September 2020

Sallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th September 2020

Dusky-lemon Sallow Cirrhia gilvago - None.  I'm still missing this species here in North Elmham, despite having had 3 to light in my bedroom in Bawdeswell before moving here.


Pale-lemon Sallow Cirrhia gilvago - None.  I've only ever caught one of these, in my garden soon after moving here, in September 2014.


Next page: more Noctuidae

3 new moths for the garden and a new lacewing

It was a poor night by neighbouring night's standards on 4th August with just 40 species.  Only one was new for the year, though a moth I'd only seen here once before: Small Dotted Buff.

Small Dotted Buff, North Elmham, 4th August

Other moths were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 2 Little Ermines Swammerdamia pyrella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 9 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 30 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Single-dotted Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Common Carpet, Small Waved Umber, Maple Pug, Dusky Thorn, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, Ruby Tiger, 5 Turnip Moths, 2 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 6 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Common Wainscots, 2 Straw Underwings, Twin-spotted Wainscot, Silver Y and 7 Straw Dots.

Twin-spotted Wainscot, North Elmham, 4th August

Other insects included Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita (a mayfly) and Bradycellus verbasci (a beetle). Also noticed a Common Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus indoors during the day.

The following night was considerably better. with no less than 3 new moths for the garden including one I'd never seen anywhere before.  The lifer was Clouded Slender Caloptilia populetorum, apparently an increasing species with as many records in Norfolk in the last couple of years as there had ever been up to 2015.

Clouded Slender Caloptilia populetorum, North Elmham, 5th August

I thought this very worn moth was going to be one of the Momphids but on dissection it clearly didn't fit.  Skimming through other genitalia diagrams came across similar ones for the two Blastodacna species.  I see hellerella quite often and this was much bigger (forewing length 6 mm, worn).  Mine was in fact an Apple-pith Moth Blastodacna atra, a much rarer species.  I'd seen one in 2012 when living at Bawdeswell wbich was only second site the species had been recorded at in Norfolk since the 1800s and 3 people have recorded them since then, but it remains a very scarce species in Norfolk.  Don't think I would have ever guessed this ID from the moth's external appearance, although the size would have been a pretty big clue if I'd ever managed to figure out that it was a Blastodacna.  Fortunately there are a few small differences in the genitalia and this confirmed it.  The one I saw in 2012 was much easier!

Apple-pith Moth Blastodacna atra (female, gen det), North Elmham, 5th August

The third new moth for the garden had come from at least 15 miles away and was a bit more straightforward to identify: a Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii.  My third saltmarsh species this summer, though unlike the Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella and the Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabililla this species is well-known for occasionally wandering inland.

Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii, North Elmham, 5th August

There were 3 more moths that were new for the year: Pine Leaf-mining Moth Clavigesta purdeyi, Miller and 5 Flounced Rustics.

Pine Leaf-mining Moth Clavigesta purdeyi, North Elmham, 5th August

Miller, North Elmham, 5th August

Flounced Rustics, North Elmham, 5th August

A Twin-spotted Wainscot was my fifth this year - remarkable for a not-particularly-common species that lives in reedbeds.  It was in fact the fourth consecutive night the species turned up here, but definitely different individuals involved.  Also noteworthy were 4 Maple Pugs - double the highest number I've trapped on one night before.  Another record count was 6 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella.

Maple Pug, North Elmham, 5th August

The other moths were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, a Parornix sp. (escaped before it could be identified), Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, 2 Little Ermines Swammerdamia pyrella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, 4 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, 5 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 23 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 33 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 15 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 5 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, Small Phoenix, 2 Currant Pugs, 3 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Yellow-barred Brindles, 2 Magpie Moths, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 3 Turnip Moths, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 12 Flame Shoulders, 4 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 9 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, White-point, 3 Common Wainscots, 3 Straw Underwings, Cloaked Minor, 2 Vine's Rustics, Spectacle and 5 Straw Dots.

Yellow-barred Brindle, North Elmham, 5th August

Cloaked Minor, North Elmham, 5th August

Among the other insects the clear highlight was another new pine-feeding brown lacewing, this time Hemerobius stigma.

Hemerobius stigma, North Elmham, 5th August

Other lacewings were 2 Chrysoperla carnea, Cunctochrysa albolineata, Dichochrysa flavifrons and 3 Micromus variegatus.  Mayflies consisted of Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum and 8 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita and the caddisflies were 2 Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 4 Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus marmoratus, Molanna angustata and Leptocerus tineiformis.

Among the leafhoppers this Lamprotettix nitidulus was new for the year.

Lamptotettix nitidulus, North Elmham, 5th August

I think this leafhopper is Oncopsis flavicollis but I have never seen this form before - it looks completely different from others I've seen.

Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 5th August

Apart from those leafhoppers, the only bug was Stenodema calcarata.

Stenodema calcarata, North Elmham, 5th August

Acorn Weevil Curculio glandium was new for the year.  Other beetles were 3 Amara apricaria, Bradycellus verbasci, Nicrophorus investigator and Aphodius rufipes.

Acorn Weevil Curculio glandium, North Elmham, 5th August

Finally there were 5 Hornets.