Dark Sword-grass, Smut and new aphids for Norfolk that shouldn't be outside

A Dark Sword-grass was the unexpected highlight on 16th November, a migrant and only my second record from the garden trap.

Dark Sword-grass, North Elmham, 16th November

It was obviously a good night for migrants as there were also 4 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella in there.   Other things were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Pale November Moth, female Epirrita sp., Scarce Umber, Dark Chestnut, the caddisflies Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus and the leafhoppper Fagocyba cruenta.

Next day while birding at Burnham Overy I found this Natterjack.  It's remarkably well camouflaged on the sand, but it's shadow was easy enough to see!

Natterjack, Burnham Overy, 17th November

The only other non-avian thing noted there was a Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea flying through the dunes (hand caught by Paul).

There were only 2 moths in the trap at home, but they were nice ones: December Moth and Scarce Umber.

The following night there was Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, December Moth, 2 Winter Moths (the first of the winter in my garden) and the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus.

A nil return on 19th and Brick and Yellow-line Quaker on 20th.

This hoverfly Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax was flying at the meadows on 21st.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

There were some nice fungi too, with thanks again to James Emerson for help with the IDs.  I particularly liked these Lilac Bonnets and Wood Blewits.

Lilac Bonnet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Wood Blewit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Also that day, the distinctive little beetle Ptinus sexpunctatus appeared in my study - the third one I've seen this year and the second that's turned up in my study.  No moths that night though, nor the following night.

A warmer night on 23rd so I had a wander round the meadows with the headtorch.  I found a few moths: Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana and 6 Winter Moths.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Winter Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I had recently seen tweets about the larvae of the two Psychoides species that breed on ferns and so decided to have a quick look for these.  With beginner's luck the first Hartstongue I checked had one on it!  I was satisfied that it was Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora.

larval covering and larva of Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I retained the leaflet that this was on and took it home with me in the hope that the adult moth would emerge.  And on 18th February this appeared in the pot!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 18th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

I did notice a second clump of spores that I had wondered about as it seemed slightly out of place compared to the rest, but I decided it was nothing.  But in fact it must have held another larva because on 26th February another moth emerged!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 26th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

They really are quite lovely little critters when they're fresh, and the first live ones I've ever seen (having found a dead one in the bottom of my garden moth trap in 2017).

As I was looking at the larva I noticed some aphids on the same bit of Hartstongue.  A little bit of online searching came up with an apparently good match, Black Fern Aphids Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  But I couldn't find out much information about the species, there weren't any records in the UK on the NBN Atlas and something I found suggested they only occurred indoors.  So I fired off an email to Jit Thacker, the county recorder for aphids.

For reasons unknown, Jit never received my email and so that was how I left it until I was catching up with records in the last few days.  In the meantime I have acquired a new book on aphids, so maybe I could progress this a bit more.  The book lists all the aphids known to occur on various plants, and for Hartstongue it only listed two species.  One looked nothing like these and the other was Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  Without the specimens adequately preserved I couldn't check the detail but they looked good - however the book reiterated what I had read, which is that in Britain and indeed the whole of northern Europe this species is only known from glasshouses and other indoor situations.

This seemed to warrant another attempt at contacting Jit, who this time received the email and responded promptly.  Off the back of this correspondence it sounded like I would need an adult specimen, preferably a winged individual (alate), to confirm the record - but that this was not to be expected as any colony was unlikely to have survived a British winter.

Well I had a careful look this morning and the colony HAD survived the winter (and I found another colony there too).  Still no winged alate, but the bigger unwinged individuals ticked all the boxes for Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  To confirm I took them through the full key, and sure enough I ended up at Idiopterus nephrelepidis.

Another email to Jit and this evening he has confirmed that they appear to be the first Norfolk record (albeit some old aphd records are missing), and perhaps also the first record of them overwintering outside!

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Other things found that evening included Common Earwig Forficula auricularia, the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea, the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus, the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichi, about 20 Oak Apple Gall Wasps Biorhiza pallida, Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber and the centipede Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus.

Idiocerus herrichi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Oak Apple Gall Wasp Biorhiza pallida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Thanks again to James for confirming the ID of some Clustered Bonnets.

Very little in the garden trap that night: Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, December Moth and 2 Winter Moths.  No moths at all the following night though - just a green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg.

Thompson Water mothing

Dave and I headed out to Thompson Water for some mothing again on Tuesday 8th August.  Conditions weren't perfect but we thought it worth a go.  There were a few nice moths but nothing espectially remarkable: Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 20 Birch Marbles Apotomis betuletana, 3 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, 4 Wainscot Veneers Chilo phragmitella, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Ground-moss Grey Eudonia truncicolella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Small China-marks Cataclysta lemnata, 6 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Knot-horn Cryptoblabes bistriga, Pebble Hook-tip, 2 Clay Triple-lines, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, Small Scallop, 3 Common Carpets, 3 Small Phoenixes, 5 Small Rivulets, Triple-spotted Pug, Currant Pug, Double-striped Pug, Common Wave, Iron Prominent, 15 Black Arches, 6 Dingy Footmen, Flame Shoulder, Antler Moth, 2 Dun-bars, Spectacle, 3 Straw Dots and Snout.

Birch Marble Apotomis betuletana, Thompson Water, 8th August

Ground-moss Grey Eudonia truncicolella, Thompson Water, 8th August

Double-striped Knot-horn Cryptoblabes bistriga, Thompson Water, 8th August

Clay Triple-lines, Thompson Water, 8th August

Triple-spotted Pug, Thompson Water, 8th August

Black Arches, Thompson Water, 8th August - a large female and a small male

We've had Scarce Emerald Damselfly come to light not far away from here before but this time it was the turn of its commoner congener, Emerald Damselfly.

Emerald Damselfly, Thompson Water, 8th August

There were a few beetles and I didn't attempt to identify all of them, though I did retain a few representatives to check which turned out to be 2 Ilybius fuliginosus, Pterostichus niger and Silpha atrata.  Similarly the caddisflies included 2 Agrypnia pagetana and Molanna angustata, the latter only my second and a species I don't get at home.

Molanna angustata, Thompson Water, 8th August

I had less luck identifying leafhoppers - another Kybos sp. was again a female which don't allow full identification but the shape of the projection on the back of the seventh abdominal sternum proved it was a different species to the one I had at home the previous week - this one was either betulicola or smaragdulus.  An Edwardsiana leafhopper was also a species that requires male genitalia to identify it - and this was a female too.

Kybos betulicola or Kybos smaragdulus, Thompson Water, 8th August

Edwardsiana sp., Thompson Water, 8th August

I'm not confident about the ID of this springtail but suspect it's Pogonognathellus longicornis.

probable Pogonognathellus longicornis, Thompson Water, 8th August

At home the hoverfly Eristalis tenax was the first I've noted this year but the moths were quite poor: 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Pale-streak Grass-veneers Agriphila selasella, 12 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 9 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, Brimstone Moth, Pale Prominent, 3 Dingy Footmen, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character and 5 Straw Dots.

Eristalis tenax, North Elmham, 8th August

There are often Frogs around the outside of my moth trap, presumably eating the moths that land round the outside (though I've not seen one successfully catch a moth yet).  Now they're getting smarter and hopping up to the top of the moth trap... next they'll be hopping in.

Common Frog, North Elmham, 8th August

Small Purple Flat-body (Agonopterix purpurea)

Best moth on 11th September was an early Large Wainscot.  Thought it would turn out to be a plain-looking Bulrush Wainscot given the date but (a) they don't seem to ever be this plain, (b) it looks ok for Large and (c) apparently it's not too early for Large, although by far my earliest ever.

Large Wainscot, North Elmham, 11th September

Otherwise it was pretty quiet: 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 6 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, 4 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Brimstone Moths, Willow Beauty, 2 Light Emeralds, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, 2 Frosted Oranges, 3 Vine's Rustics, Burnished Brass and 7 Snouts.

Things picked up dramatically the next evening.  Even before starting on what was inside the trap I'd found 52 moths of 15 species round the outside.  Two moths were new for the garden: the wonderful Pied Smudge Ypsolopha sequella and Winter Groundling Scrobipalpa costella.

Pied Smudge Yposolopha sequella, North Elmham, 12th September

Winter Groundling Scrobipalpa costella, North Elmham, 12th September

Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana and Lunar Underwing were also new for the year.

Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, North Elmham, 12th September

There are a small number of moths that I used to get at the old house at Bawdeswell in much greater numbers than I do here at North Elmham.  Small Dusty Wave is one with, for example 177 recorded on 59 dates in 2013, compared to just singles recorded on 8 dates at North Elmham in 2015.  I've done fractionally better this year but a count of 5 Small Dusty Waves on 11th was quite unexpected here.  A count of 20 Common Marbled Carpets was equally unexpected, more than doubling my previous best.  Another count that came close to double my previous best was 16 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana.

The remainder consisted of Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 6 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 7 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 8 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Grey Pine Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, 11 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, 9 Light Emeralds, Turnip Moth, 15 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 3 Flounced Rustics, 2 Rosy Rustics, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass, 2 Straw Dots and 27 Snouts.

Other things in the trap included 2 Hemerobius lutescens (a Brown Lacewing), 2 Birch Shieldbugs, Forest Bug and my first Orange Ladybird here this year.

 Orange Ladybird, North Elmham, 12th September

Two moths were new for the year the following night: Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana and Sallow.

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, North Elmham, 13th September

Sallow, North Elmham, 13th September

The rest were Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 6 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 9 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 13 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Small Blood-vein, 5 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Green Carpets, 5 Brimstone Moths, Canary-shouldered Thorn, 5 Light Emeralds, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Common Wainscots, Copper Underwing, 2 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass, 3 Straw Dots and 17 Snouts.

Birch Shieldbug, Forest Bug, Hornet and Common Wasp were among the other inhabitants of my trap while a Small Tortoiseshell had flown into my study earlier in the day.

A trip to the local patch on 14th September produced lots of occupied mines of Nut Leaf Blister Moth Phyllonorycter coryli.  Also Southern Hawker, Common Darters, the Brown Lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, 2 Speckled Woods, 30 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and the hoverfly Eristalis tenax.

Eristalis tenax, Bittering, 14th September

Although there weren't many moths that night one of them was a welcome lifer, Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea.

Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea, North Elmham, 14th September

The others were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 9 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Marsh Grey Eudonia pallida, 24 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Wax Moth Galleria mellonella, Small Blood-vein, 3 Common Marbled Carpets, Green Carpet, Brimstone Moth, 2 Light Emeralds, 8 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spot Rustic, 3 Common Wainscots, 2 Lunar Underwings, 3 Flounced Rustics, 2 Rosy Rustics, Frosted Orange, 3 Straw Dots and 6 Snouts.

A visit to Burnham Overy on 15th was mainly for birds rather than insects, which is lucky as the dank conditions weren't good for the latter.  I did manage 3 Carnation Tortrixes Cacoecimorpha pronubana though.  Also a Pine Hawk-moth caterpillar in Holkham Pines rolling around manically and looking pretty ugly for a hawk-moth.

Pine Hawk-moth caterpillar, Holkham Pines, 15th September

I think this has to be Crab Brittlegill but please correct me if I'm wrong.  (*Edit* Thanks to James for pointing out that while this is probably correct it could be something else, e.g. Bloody Brittlegill - see his comment below.  At least it was a Brittlegill... I must be improving!)

probable Crab Brittlegill, Holkham Pines, 15th September

That night the moth trap contained Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 18 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Single-dotted Wave, Flame Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Dusky Thorn, Willow Beauty, 8 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, 5 Lunar Underwings, Flounced Rustic, Rosy Rustic, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass, Silver Y, Straw Dot and 5 Snouts.

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 15th September

I used to see lots coming to light at my last house but this Hawthorn Shieldbug in the trap was my first in over 2 years at North Elmham.  Also 2 Birch Shieldbugs and 2 Hornets.

Hawthorn Shieldbug, North Elmham, 15th September