Large Lance-wing Epermenia falciformis, North Elmham, 7th August
Little Conch Cochylis dubitana, North Elmham, 7th August
The most numerous moths were 76 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella. This was the peak count of the year and a record count for me.
Other moths were 2 Bordered Carls Coptotriche marginea, probable Skin Moth Monopis laevigella (would have been new for the year if it hadn't escaped before I could confirm it), 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, 2 Blackthorn Slenders Parornix torquillella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Honeysuckle Moth Ypsolopha dentella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 3 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, 8 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Knapweed Conches Agapeta zoegana, 3 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, 5 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Blotched Marbles Endothenia quadrimaculana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 23 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 7 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Flame Carpet, 4 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, Double-striped Pug, Dusky Thorn, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, 2 Turnip Moths, 3 Flame Shoulders, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Straw Underwing, Dun-bar, Lesser Common Rustic, 2 Flounced Rustics and 4 Straw Dots.
Mayflies, lacewings and caddisflies consisted of 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, Cunctochrysa albolineata, Hemerobius humulinus, Hemerobius lutescens, 2 Micromus variegatus, 2 Ithytrichia lamellaris, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 5 Hydropsyche siltalai, 2 Limnephilus auricula and Leptocerus tineiformis.
Among the bugs Compsidolon salicellum was only my second. Others were Birch Shieldbug, Forest Bug, Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus rugulipennis, Trigonotylus caelestialium and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis. There was also the psyllid Cacopsylla brunneipennis which was technically the first one I identified as this species. However in the process of identifying it I realised that it was very probably the same species as one I had identified as Cacopsylla pulchra from 27th July. I'd been a little doubtful about that ID so it was good to get a second chance to nail it.
Compsidolon salicellum, North Elmham, 7th August
Cacopsylla brunneipennis (female), North Elmham, 7th August
Beetles consisted of Amara apricaria, 6 Bradycellus verbasci, Aphodius rufipes and Harlequin Ladybird. There were also 7 Hornets.
Hornets, North Elmham, 7th August
There were 3 new moths the following night and again they were all second records for the garden. In fact the first two were my second records anywhere. They were Rowan Slender Parornix scoticella, Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella and Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella.
Rowan Slender Parornix scoticella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th August
Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella, North Elmham, 8th August
Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella, North Elmham, 8th August
Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella was also my second ever, following my first just six nights earlier. Poplar Cosmet Batrachedra praeangusta was another species I had seen for the first time this year with two here in the garden and one elsewhere.
Elm Midget Phyllonorycter tristrigella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 8th August
Poplar Cosmet Batrachedra praeangusta, North Elmham, 8th August
The rest of the moths that night were 2 Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella, Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, 2 Blackthorn Slenders Parornix torquillella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 11 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 68 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, 2 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Tawny Speckled Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Magpie Moths, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 5 Dusky Thorns, 4 Willow Beauties, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Turnip Moths, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Flame Shoulders, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 9 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Cabbage Moth, Common Wainscot, Common Rustic, 5 Flounced Rustics, 2 Vine's Rustics and 7 Straw Dots.
Mayflies, lacewings and caddisflies were 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita, Dichochrysa flavifrons, Dichochrysa prasina, Conwentzia psociformis, Hydropsyche pellucidula and Limnephilus lunatus.
Birch Shieldbug was the only bug, Bradycellus verbasci and Aphodius rufipes the only beetles and there were 4 Hornets and a Common Wasp.
Things then took a turn for the worse and the night of 9th August was dire: just 41 moths of 14 species: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 22 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Willow Beauty, Turnip Moth, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Six-striped Rustic, Straw Underwing, 4 Flounced Rustics and 3 Straw Dots.
The only other insects I noted were Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Hornets.
If that was bad then the following night was even worse - just 9 species of moth! They were Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 25 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Orange Swifts, Willow Beauty, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Six-striped Rustic, Common Wainscot and 2 Flounced Rustics.
There was also the caddisfly Limnephilus marmoratus, a Hornet and a Common Frog.
Next day I went to Titchwell where the main focus was birds. But on the way out I stopped at In-focus to pick up my eye-piece that had been in for repairs. The buddleia in their car park was full of butterflies but among them was something smaller. Eventually I got a good enough look at it - it was a Gold Spot, and clearly very much at home among the butterflies feeding in the sunshine.
That night there was a slight improvement in numbers of moths though none were new for the year. There were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 2 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 56 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Orange Swifts, Single-dotted Wave, Flame Carpet, 2 Double-striped Pugs, Magpie Moth, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, Buff Ermine, 2 Flame Shoulders, 4 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Straw Underwing, Dun-bar, Vine's Rustic and 6 Straw Dots.
Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th August
Rush Marble Bactra lancealana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 11th August
Lacewings and caddisflies consisted of Hemerobius humulinus, Hemerobius lutescens, 4 Micromus variegatus, Hydropsyche siltalai, 3 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis and 2 Limnephilus lunatus.
There was one new insect for the year among the beetles, a 10-spot Ladybird - in fact only my second here I think. Other beetles were Amara apricaria and Nicrophorus investigator.
10-spot Ladybird, North Elmham, 11th August
It's been a good year for Hornets and they peaked in the garden this night with a total of 10 in the moth trap.
