A caddisfly lifer and a host of new moths for the year

The problem with being so far behind is I don't remember the circumstances of some of the records, so I fear some of the accounts will be even dryer than normal.  Hey-ho, I'll do my best...

I don't recall why a moth-trapping session at the Cathedral Meadows produced such a low number of moths (given it was a good night at home) - it might of been the night my generator packed up shortly after starting as it ran out of oil.  Anyway a Lobster Moth was nice, but otherwise the moths were fairly unremarkable with Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 6 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Straw Conch Cochylimorpha straminea, 6 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 8 Common Swifts, 4 Green Carpets, White Ermine, 2 Flame Shoulders and 6 Middle-barred Minors.

Lobster Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June

There were some other note-worthy insects, including the Mayfly Caenis horaria (one of the Angler's Curse species, and the first one of these I've postitively identified).

Caenis horaria, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June

There was a Hawthorn Shieldbug, and caddisflies included my first ever Hydropsyche contubernalis, 3 Phryganea bipunctata and 20 Grouse Wings Mystacides longicornis.

Hydropsyche contubernalis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June

Grouse Wing Mystacides longicornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June

There were also a couple of insects I couldn't identify: one a Water Boatman which turned out to be a female - you need a male to identify them to species level, and the other a beetle (family Hydrophilidae I think) which should prove identifiable but which I've so far been unable to key out successfully.  Update December: I finally managed to identify the beetle - it was Enochrus melanocephalus, a new one for me.

Water Boatman sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June

Enochrus melanocephalus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June

That night I had the Mayfly Caenis horaria at home too, and also another insect that was new for the house, Macrocera phalerata.  I don't usually do flies except for hoverflies and a small number of other distinctive species, but Macrocera are pretty distinctive with their long legs, ridiculously long antennae and heavily patterned wings.

Macrocera phalerata, North Elmham, 1st June

It wasn't too shabby a night for moths with no less than 17 new moths for the year: Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella (only my second at home), 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, Oak Hook-tip, Green Pug, 4 Scorched Wings, Peppered Moth, Ingrailed Clay, Tawny Marbled Minor and Middle-barred Minor.

Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, North Elmham, 1st June

Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 1st June

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham, 1st June

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 1st June

Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, North Elmham, 1st June

Twin-bnarred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella, North Elmham, 1st June

Oak Hook-tip, North Elmham, 1st June

Peppered Moth, North Elmham, 1st June

Ingrailed Clay, North Elmham, 1st June

Tawny Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st June

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham, 1st June

Strictly speaking you have to gen det Buff Ruff Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella to positively identify them, but I usually have a pretty good idea of what they are going to be without getting them under the microscope, but in order to record them accurately and gauge relative abundance of the different species I normally gen det each one I catch to make sure I have an accurate record.  I had to draw a line today though, as there were no less than 51 Coleophora caespititiella - or at least 51 moths that I'm pretty sure were casspititiella.  I did check 17 of them, and sure enough all these did prove to be casspititiella, but I couldn't justify wading through the whole lot of them this time and let the rest go.

Other moths that night were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 3 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, 2 Hedge Case-bearers Coleophora striatipennella, Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 5 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 11 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 4 Common Swifts, Chinese Character, 2 Cream Waves, 2 Treble Brown Spots, Flame Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 5 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Garden Carpets, 9 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, 5 Mottled Pugs, 9 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Scorched Carpet, 2 Brown Silver-lines, 2 Brimstone Moths, Pale Oak Beauty, Privet Hawk-moth, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent, 3 Orange Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 3 Heart and Darts, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 4 Treble Lines, 3 Spectacles and 7 Straw Dots.

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 1st June

Three of the five caddisflies recorded were new for the year: Hydroptila sparsa, Oxyethira flavicornis and Limnephilus flavicornis. The other two were Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche pellucidula.

Hydroptila sparsa, North Elmham, 1st June

Oxyethira flavicornis, North Elmham, 1st June

Limnephilus flavicornis, North Elmham, 1st June

Also new for the year were 4 males of the leafhopper Oncopsis flavicollis and the soldier beetle Cantharis rufa.

Oncopsis flavicollis, North Elmham, 1st June

Cantharis rufa, North Elmham, 1st June

Other insects included the mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, the mirid bug Psallus varians, 2 Black Sexton Beetles and a Common Wasp.

Green Arches

There were fewer than 40 species of moth at home on the night of 28th June but one of them was stunning and unexpected!  A Green Arches.  Like the one we had at Hedenham Wood earlier in the month it was a fresh and bright specimen, unlike either of the Green Arches I'd seen before.  The first time I've ever seen this species in my own garden.

Green Arches, North Elmham, 28th June

A Small Emerald was the only other moth added to the garden year list that night, the other macros being Ghost Moth, Treble Brown Spot, 4 Riband Waves, Grey Pug, 2 Clouded Borders, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, 7 Willow Beauties, Light Emerald, Common Footman, White Ermine, 8 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, Uncertain, 2 Burnished Brasses and 6 Snouts.

Small Emerald, North Elmham, 28th June

Micros consisted of Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 6 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Other insects new for the year were Brown Chafer and the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.  Caddisflies included Limnephilus marmoratus and a Hydropsyche sp.  I think I've been misidentifying some of these so I'll leave it as sp. for now, and until I get round to correcting them please ignore any past records of Hydropsyche perlucidalis - I think the females (which are the majority) were siltalai.

Brown Chafer, North Elmham, 28th June

The following evening saw a slight increase in moth species, including 4 new for the year: Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella and Light Arches.

Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, North Elmham, 29th June

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 29th June

Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 29th June

Light Arches, North Elmham, 29th June

The other moths were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 7 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 4 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, Barred Straw, Lime-speck Pug, Currant Pug, Common Pug, Green Pug, Clouded Border, 2 Scorched Wings, 2 Peppered Moths, 4 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Eyed Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 10 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, Flame, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 3 Double Square-spots, Poplar Grey, 5 Dark Arches, 3 Uncertains, 2 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 2 Straw Dots, 9 Snouts and Small Fan-foot.

 Yellow-spot Tortix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, North Elmham, 29th June

Eyed Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 29th June

Limnephilus lunatus and Limpnephilus auricula represented the caddsiflies and a Garden Bumble Bee in the trap was also new for the year here.

Garden Bumble Bee, North Elmham, 29th June

Painted Neb

Sunday 5th July was much quieter than the previous day but two Plume moths made it on to the year list: Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla (rather belatedly) and Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla.

Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, North Elmham, 5th July

Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, North Elmham, 5th July

Engrailed was also new for the year.

The others were Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, 4 Large Ivy Tortrices Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Common Emerald, Small Fan-footed Wave, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, 5 Barred Straws, Common Pug, Clouded Border, 2 Peppered Moths, 2 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 3 Buff-tips, 8 Common Footmen, 13 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Short-cloaked Moth, 4 Heart and Clubs, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 3 Double Square-spots, Nutmeg, 4 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 2 Clays, 3 Brown Rustics, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor agg., 14 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, 6 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, 4 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot and 2 Snouts.

  Rustic, North Elmham, 5th July

Another of these beetles that are probably Malthinus flaveolus:

probable Malthinus flaveolus, North Elmham, 5th July

6th July was better again with  87 species.  Among these was my first Painted Neb Eulamprotes wilkella.  These are reasonably common at the coast (where I was to go on to see several a few days later) and also in the Brecks, but except for an old record near Kings Lynn there don't seem to be any inland Norfolk records away from the Brecks.  So not expected here really.

Painted Neb Eulamprotes wilkella, North Elmham, 6th July

Several new for the year included my second ever Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella, a New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Peach Blossom, Blue-bordered Carpet, Yellow-tail and Common Rustic.

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 6th July

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 6th July

New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, North Elmham, 6th July

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 6th July

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 6th July

Common Rustic (female, gen det), North Elmham, 6th July

Here's the genitalia of the Bryotropha similis with a Bryotropha affinis for comparison, showing the stouter gnathos (the arm if you imagine the top bit as a head) of the similis.  The live insects are shown below.

male genitalia of Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis (left) and Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis (right), North Elmham, 6th July

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, North Elmham, 6th July

Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis, North Elmham, 6th July

The other micros were 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 4 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 2 Buff Cosmets Mompha ochraceella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrices Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 6 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, 30 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, 5 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 7 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula stagnata, 5 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis and 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella.

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 6th July

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula stagnata, North Elmham, 6th July

Other macros were Ghost Moth, Common Emerald, 6 Dwarf Cream Waves, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 20 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, Sandy Carpet, Common Pug, Grey Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 2 Clouded Borders, 2 Lilac Beauties, 2 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Elephant Hawkmoth, Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Buff-tips, 2 Rosy Footmen, Four-dotted Footman, Scarce Footman, 8 Common Footmen, 9 Buff Ermines, Short-cloaked Moth, 3 Heart and Clubs, Heart and Dart, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Double Square-spots, 4 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, 5 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, 4 Dark Arches, Dusky Brocade, 20 Uncertains, Rustic, 3 Mottled Rustics, Green Silver-lines, 6 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 7 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot, 5 Snouts and 3 Fan-foots.

Small Yellow Wave, North Elmham, 6th July

Dingy Footman, North Elmham, 6th July

Mottled Beauty, North Elmham, 6th July - a dark-banded variant I don't see very often

Next day (7th July) was very poor by recent standards and, unusually at the moment, nothing new for the year.  I recorded Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 12 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla, Common Emerald, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, Single-dotted Wave, Treble Brown Spot, 5 Riband Waves, 3 Barred Straws, Barred Yellow, Lilac Beauty, 3 Willow Beauties, Engrailed, Clouded Silver, Buff-tip, Rosy Footman, 3 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 2 Brown Rustics, 18 Uncertains, Rustic, Mottled Rustic, Silver Y, Straw Dot, 3 Snouts and Fan-foot. 

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 6th July

Engrailed, North Elmham, 6th July