Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Erebids (Erebidae) part 3: Fan-foots, Small Snouts, Beautiful Hook-tip and Red Underwings

EREBIDS (EREBIDAE) (continued)


Dotted Fan-foot Macrochilo cribrumalis - Trapped in the garden on 25th June 2020 and 2nd July, the first I'd caught here since 3 in 2015-16.  Elsewhere one at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020 and 3 at the meadows on 18th/23rd June 2020.

Dotted Fan-foot, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham, 25th June 2020

Fan-foot Herminia tarsipennalis - A total of 41 here between 24th June and 26th July 2019 was my worst year here but 2020 made it look good by returning just 16 between 19th June and 23rd July.  An average year here is 60.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows and one at Hellesdon.

Fan-foot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Small Fan-foot Herminia grisealis - I'd caught 54 here in my first 4 years 2015-18 with annual totals ranging from 8 to 24, so it was a bit of a shocker to have a completely blank year in 2019 followed by just a single one (on 26th June) in 2020.


Pinion-streaked Snout Schrankia costaestrigalis - Singles trapped here on 4 nights between 30th August and 24th September 2019 and on 20th August 2020.  I've had 3-6 here in each of the last 4 years but had a blank year in 2015.  Elsewhere one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019 and 4 in Cornwall on 6th/7th October 2020.


Blackneck Lygephila pastinum - None.  I was due a blank year or two after catching one, but only ever one, in each year between 2015 and 2018.


Waved Black Parascotia fuliginaria - None.  I've never seen this species and it's never been recorded round here, but it seems to be increasing in south Norfolk so it's perhaps just a matter of time before it turns up round here.  Hope so anyway.


Beautiful Hook-tip Laspeyria flexula - Totals of 17 here between 23rd June and 24th July 2019 followed by 3 autumn records between 9th and 25th September, then 22 between 12th June and 30th July 2020.  Although the 3 in September 2019 represented my best ever autumn showing the overall totals of 20 and 22 were my worst in the 6 years I've been here - I had been averaging 50 a year.  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood and 2 at Weybourne.

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Beautiful Hook-tip, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Beautiful Marbled Eublemma purpurina - None.  I've never seen this species and until very recently it didn't seem particularly likely that I would see one in Norfolk.  After the first in Norfolk in 2016 there were 5 in 2018, 5 in 2019 and then 30 in 2020.  Given the spread of records and some repeated records of fresh individuals at inland locations it is impossible to conclude that these are all migrants - the species is clearly breeding in the county now.  Currently all the records are north or east of a line curving round from Dersingham across to Stibbard and down to Tasburgh.  I'm only just on the wrong side of that line so if things carry on going the way they've started then it won't be long before I catch one too.  Bring it on!!!


Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini - None.  I've never seen one but rather like the previous species it's only the last couple of years that it has felt like I have anything more than an outside chance of finding one.  Compared to the last species there were a few more old historic records of migrants but the very recent colonisation follows a pattern that's uncannily similar except that there are a few records in the south-west quarter of the county too.  I'm very much looking forward to my first...


Red Underwing Catocala nupta - None in 2019 but 4 between 11th and 26th August 2020.  I have only ever caught 3 in my moth trap here, one in 2014 and 2 together in 2016, but in 2020 I started using sugar.

Red underwing, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Red underwing, North Elmham, 26th August 2020

Dark Crimson Underwing Catocala sponsa - None.  Another former rare migrant that's very recently colonised the county.  Hopefully they will become a permanent fixture here and it won't be long before one finds its way to my sugar mix...


Burnet Companion Euclidia glyphica - None.  In Norfolk this species is largely restrited to the Brecks but there are a few records elsewhere.  As a day-flying species I'm not expecting to catch one in the garden but there is perhaps a small chance of me finding it at the meadows one day.


Mother Shipton Euclidia mi - None.  Another day-flying species that I don't particularly expect to catch at home but unlike the previous species there are a lot of records across Norfolk and away from the Brecks (although the Brecks is its stronghold).  It's not yet been recorded in this 10km square but I've had it this side of Beetley and I imagine it's quite likely to occur even more locally.


Next page: Noctuidae

Coleophora trifolii (Large Clover Case-bearer) next door

At lunch on 6th July I went to Courtyard Farm at Ringstead where highlights were Corn Bunting, Black-and-yellow Longhorn Beetle, 2 Yellow-spot Tortrixes Pseudargyrotoza conwagana and Painted Lady butterfly.

Nearly 200 moths of 76 species at home that night, the highlight being one of 3 Peppered Moths, a melanic individual of the form carbonaria.  I've seen a few dark examples but rarely one so solidly blackish as this.

Peppered Moth (f. carbonaria), North Elmham, 6th July

A tatty Brown Scallop and 2 Four-dotted Footmen were also good, both species commoner in the Brecks than elsewhere.

Brown Scallop, North Elmham, 6th July

Others new for the year were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata and Brown-line Bright-eye.

Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, North Elmham, 6th July

Other macros were Buff Arches, 3 Common Emeralds, Small Emerald, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, Single-dotted Wave, Treble Brown Spot, 7 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, 5 Barred Straws, Sandy Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Grey Pug, 3 Green Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, 4 Willow Beauties, 3 Mottled Beauties, 2 Common White Waves, 8 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, Marbled Brown, Buff-tip, 2 Common Footmen, Cinnabar, Turnip Moth, 2 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Double Square-spots, 2 Dot Moths, 5 Brown Rustics, 3 Dark Arches, Light Arches, 14 Uncertains, Green Silver-lines, 2 Burnished Brasses, Beautiful Golden Y, Beautiful Hook-tip, 7 Snouts and 8 Fan-foots.

My best count yet of False Cacao Moths Ephestia unicolorella (8) headlined the other micros, the rest of which were Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 2 Grey Rush Case-bearers Coleophora glaucicolella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, 2 Light Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, 6 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 9 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella.

Caddisflies included my first Goera pilosa, along with Ecnomus tenellus, probable Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus flavicornis and 2 Limnephilus lunatus.  Also 4 Summer Chafers and the Mayfly Serratella ignita.

Goera pilosa, North Elmham, 6th July

My next door neighbours have a large garden (which I benefit from as we overlook it) and asked me if I could show their 9 year old grandson some moths.  Rather than have him get up at the crack of dawn to go through my moth trap I set a different trap in their garden and popped round at a more civilised time to have a look through it with them.

The Privet Hawkmoth and Eyed Hawkmoth created the biggest wows but the lad made a friend with a Buff Ermine too, and much amusement was found in the fact that there was a moth called Uncertain.  I didn't keep count of everything in the trap as that wasn't the point but from what I could remember when I got back the following were also trapped: Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 2 Barred Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis cerasana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Cnephasia sp., 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 6 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Beautiful Plume Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, Drinker, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Clouded Borders, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, Swallow-tailed Moth, 2 Willow Beauties, 2 Clouded Silvers, White Ermine, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Dart, 10 Double Square-spots, Middle-barred Minor, 10 Uncertains, Rustic, 2 Mottled Rustics, 2 Burnished Brasses, Beautiful Hook-tip, 2 Snouts and Dotted Fan-foot.

Drinker, North Elmham, 6th July

Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham, 6th July

Short-cloaked Moth, North Elmham, 6th July

The best moth from my perspective was lurking on the side of the trap and at first I thought it was going to be a Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, and took it home with me to check.  It was only after I got home that it dawned on me how big it was.  I measured it - yep, this was no Small anything.  Surely this had to be a Large Clover Case-bearer Coleophora trifolii!  It had to be on size but I dissected it just to make sure and so it proved - an unexpected lifer for me!

Large Clover Case-bearer Coleophora trifolii (male, gen det), North Elmham, 6th July

There was one more lifer in the trap for me too - the green Lacewing Dichochrysa ventralis.

Dichochrysa ventralis, North Elmham, 6th July

Two more new micros

Though it didn't turn up anything quite so good as the day before, Friday 26th was a good night at home.  Two new micros for me: Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella and Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa.

Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, North Elmham, 26th June

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 26th June

Another Bird's Wing was good to see:

Bird's Wing, North Elmham, 26th June

Another which I only recently saw for the first time was 2 Woodland Marbles Orthotaenia undulana:

Woodland Marbles Orthotaenia undulana, North Elmham, 26th June

Others new for the year were New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella, Blackthorn Slender Deltaornix torquillella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis (all 3 gen detted for confirmation), Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Swallow-tailed Moth and Dotted Fan-foot.

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 26th June

Dotted Fan-foot, North Elmham, 26th June

New Oak Slender Caloptilia robustella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Blackthorn Slender Deltraornix torquillella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

The rest of the 69 species were Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrices Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (gen det), 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrices Hedya nubiferana, 4 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 9 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, 5 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Dwarf Cream Wave, Treble Brown Spot, 3 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 2 Green Pugs, 2 Brimstone Moths, 5 Willow Beauties, 3 Mottled Beauties, 6 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, Poplar Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, Buff-tip, Orange Footman, 3 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 12 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, 2 Heart and Clubs, 2 Heart and Darts, 5 Flames, Flame Shoulder, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Double Square-spots, 8 Brown Rustics, 2 Dark Arches, 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 8 Uncertains, 2 Burnished Brass, Spectacle, 6 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 26th June

I think this chap was a Clay-coloured Weevil:

probable Clay-coloured Weevil, North Elmham, 26th June