New Pigmy for the garden

Another visit to the Cathedral Meadows on Monday 14th added a few more species to the list.  A Large White was the only new butterfly but I managed to get some better photos of other species including Holly Blue and Orange-tip (just too slow for Brimstone).

Holly Blue, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

Orange-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

Green-veined White, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

As well as 5 Large Red Damselflies there was this Common Blue Damselfly, my first this year.

Common Blue Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

A Dark-edge Bee-fly provided an opportunity for some flight shots...

Dark-edged Bee-fly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

I only found 3 moths: Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella, Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella and Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella.

Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

Hoverflies included another Melanostoma mellinum and my first Epistrophe eligans.

Epistrophe eligans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

I eventually identified this bee as a Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica.

Chocolate Mining Bee Andrena scotica, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 14th May

When I got home I found a Varied Carpet Beetle in the house.  Ironically I always seem to find them in the uncarpeted rooms - maybe the ones in the carpeted rooms are hiding in the carpets?

The star of that night's moth trap was a Coarse Hazel Pigmy Stigmella floslactella, a new species for the garden.

Coarse Hazel Pigmy Stigmella floslactella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th May

Also new for the year were Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Pale Tussock, Heart and Dart (again, worn almost to the point of being unrecognisable) and a Cockchafer.

Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, North Elmham, 14th May

Pale Tussock, North Elmham, 14th May

Cockchafer, North Elmham, 14th May

Other moths were 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, Common Pug, Brimstone Moth, Chocolate-tip, Flame Shoulder and Nut-tree Tussock, while Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 3 Limnephilus auricula represented the caddisflies.

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham, 14th May

Chocolate in the bedroom

A Dark-edged Bee-fly in the garden on Saturday was new for the garden.

My butterfly list for the meadows was pretty poor with most of my visits so far either being early in the morning, late in the afternoon/evening, overnight or on cloudy days.  So on Saturday I decided to go mid afternoon in the hope of adding some species.  In fact it was very poor for butterflies considering the lovely warm sunshine, just the same 5 species I'd already seen there: 4 Green-veined Whites, 3 Orange-tips, Brimstone, Peacock and 2 Small Tortoiseshells.

There were several Vetch Piercers Grapholita jungiella flying in one of the fields, the first time I've ever seen this species in multiples, and at least 7 Large Red Damselflies.

Large Red Damselfly, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

This beetle proved to be my first Bembidion lampros.

Bembidion lampros, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

There was my first green lacewing for the site, a female Chrysoperla carnea agg. and hoverflies included this fine Leucozona lucorum.

Leucozona lucorum, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Dark-edged Bee-fly, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Among the bees were 6+ Common Carder Bees, Honey Bee and over 20 Flavous Nomad Bees Nomada flava.

Common Carder Bee, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Honey Bee, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Flavous Nomad Bee Nomada flava, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

I found some more evidence of oak gall wasps - one isolated Oak sapling was covered in them - at least 40.

Oak galls, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

I always think of Alexanders as being a coastal plant, so I had been surprised to find a single plant of what I think is this species near the chapel ruins.  Sounds like it does occur well inland though mainly along salted roads.

Alexanders, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

Other botanical interest included my second species of Horsetail for the site, Marsh Horsetail.

Marsh Horsetail, Cathedral Meadows, 5th May

At home this Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella was flying around the garden, my first here this year.

Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, North Elmham, 5th May

That night I trapped Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Brindled Pug, 2 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Swallow Prominent, 3 Muslin Moths, 3 Hebrew Characters and the hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus.

Next day I found what appears to be a Large Gorse Mining Bee Andrena bimaculata in my dining room.  Unexpected as there's no gorse in my garden or very close by, but it seems to key out to this species and everything checks out ok so far as I can tell.

Large Gorse Mining Bee Andrena bimaculata, North Elmham, 6th May

A worn micro moth was netted from the Cathedral Meadows and at first I couldn't work out what it was.  When it eventually settled I could see the tell-tale signs - it was a Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella. I'm sure my source of vernacular names for micro moths had this down as Golden Lance-wing before, which I always thought was quite inappropriate.  Maybe it had been a typo as it's now showing as Garden Lance-wing - much better.

Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella, Cathedral Meadows, 6th May

I stayed until dark at which point a few more things started to appear, including the beetle Leistus spinibarbis and a couple of moths seen in torchlight: Green Carpet and Common Pug.  But temperatures were now dropping so I didn't give it long.

Leistus spinibarbis, Cathedral Meadows, 6th May

The contents of my moth trap that night were nice, if not particularly exciting: 3 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Swallow Prominent, 2 Muslin Moths, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.  But missing my trap and heading straight in to the bedroom was this lovely Chocolate-tip, my first of the year.

Chocolate-tip, North Elmham, 5th May