Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Eggars (Lasiocampidae), Emperor (Saturniidae) and Hawk-moths (Sphingiidae)

EGGARS (LASIOCAMPIDAE)


December Moth Poecilocampa populi - Totals of 22 in the garden between 16th November and 5th December 2019 and 37 between 6th November and 12th December 2020.  These were my best totals so far and included peaks of 7 on 22nd November 2019 (a record count) and 6 on 24th November 2020.  Also caterpillars in the garden on 23rd March 2019 and 5th April 2020.  Elsewhere singles at the meadows in both years.

December Moth, North Elmham, 23rd November 2019

December Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th November 2019

December Moth caterpillar, North Elmham, 5th April 2020

December Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Pale Eggar Trichiura crategi - Singles trapped at home on 4 dates between 28th August and 5th September 2019 and on 24th August 2020.  Even allowing for the possibility of having re-trapped the same individual once or twice the 2019 series was a good showing as I've only ever caught 2 before (2015 and 2016).

Pale Eggar, North Elmham, 28th August 2019

Pale Eggar, North Elmham, 24th August 2020

Lackey Malacosama neustria - None.  I've never seen this species although it seems to be common enough in various parts of Norfolk.  Not round here though - a complete lack of modern-day records anywhere near here until one in the Reepham area in 2020 - maybe there is hope?


Small Eggar Eriogaster lanestris - None.  I'm yet to record this species at home despite seeing a colony of caterpillars in next door's hedge in 2018, less than 50m away from my moth trap.  It appears that this species doesn't come to light easily - I've only ever trapped one adult anywhere.


Oak Eggar Lasiocampa quercus - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one in the garden on 13th July 2020, my 5th record here in 6 years.

Oak Eggar, North Elmham, 13th July 2020 - making a Large Yellow Underwing look small

Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi - None in Norfolk but 4 caterpillars at various points along the Cornish coast between Porthgwarra Moor and St Loy in October 2020.  Despite being quite easy to find in the Brecks, the west Norfolk heaths and parts of the east coast this species appears to be completely absent from central Norfolk, even from the heathy areas.  In view of that I'm probably not very likely to record one locally, but you never know...

Fox Moth caterpillar, St Loy (Cornwall), 5th October 2020

Drinker Euthrix potatoria - 2 very poor years for this species with singles in the garden moth trap on just 3 dates, 16th and 20th July 2019 and 20th July 2020.  I've averaged 4 a year here and never had as few as one before.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows, 2 at Bintree Wood and singles at Hellesdon and Mull.

Drinker, Carsaig (Mull), 11th June 2019

Drinker, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Lappet Gastropacha quercifolia - This was the main target on a visit to Brancaster dunes with Will and Sarah on 2nd July 2020 and we were made up when one came in to the LED lights.  An absolutely incredible moth, and one that had long been high up on my most-wanted list.

Lappet, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

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EMPEROR (SATURNIIDAE)


Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia - Attracted to pheremone lure here on 21st April 2019 and 9th April 2020, my second and third records here.  Also 5 to lure at the meadows between 29th March and 20th April 2019 and one on 8th April 2020.

Emperor Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th March 2019

Emperor Moth, North Elmham, 21st April 2019

Emperor Moth, North Elmhamn Cathedral Meadows, 8th April 2020 (I had the lure out for just a couple of minutes; these were taken after I'd put it away but the smell must have remained on the surface where I'd placed it (it did fly off after a while)

Emperor Moth, North Elmham, 9th April 2020

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HAWK-MOTHS (SPHINGIDAE)


Lime Hawk-moth Mimas tiliae - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  I've only ever had one of these at home (2016) - not sure where my nearest Limes are.  I had one at the meadows in 2018 despite no limes there either.  None in 2020.


Eyed Hawk-moth Smerinthus ocellata - None in the garden moth trap in 2019 despite averaging 7-8 a year over the previous 4 years, but 7 here between 20th May and 25th June 2020.  Elsewhere 2 to LED lights at the meadows, 2 at Weybourne and 2 at Brancaster.

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 9th June 2020

Poplar Hawk-moth Laothoe populi - Totals of 32 at home between 7th May and 27th August 2019 and 40 between 9th May and 16th August - fairly typical years.  Elsewhere 2 next door, 2 at the meadows, 5 at Hellesdon, 3 at Weybourne and singles at Bintree Wood, Hills and Holes and on Mull.

Poplar Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Poplar Hawk-moths, North Elmham, 26th May 2019

Poplar Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 9th May 2020

Convolvulus Hawk-moth Agrius convolvuli - None.  The only example of this migrant species that I've ever trapped was in my garden in October 2016.  My garden doesn't do well for migrants generally so it's never likely to be more than a very occasional visitor here.


Privet Hawk-moth Sphinx ligustri - 8 caught in my garden between 5th June and 4th August 2019 and 9 between 26th May and 6th July 2020, fairly typical showings.  Elsewhere one at the meadows and one at Weybourne.

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 5th June2019 - with a Treble Lines for scale

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 6th July 2020

Pine Hawk-moth Sphinx pinastri - One in the garden trap on 22nd July 2019.  That was only my 5th since moving in in August 2014 so it was pretty remarkable that I caught 8 here between 19th May and 29th July 2020 (all singles except 2 on 18th July).  Elsewhere one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 and 3 at Bintree Wood in 2020.

Pine Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 22nd July 2019

Pine Hawk-moth, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Pine Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 18th July 2020

Pine Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 29th July 2020

Broad-bordered Bee Hawk-moth Hemaris fuciformis - None.  I've never recorded this species locally but there are a small number of recent records from not far away so it's feasible that I will someday.


Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum - One at the meadows on 29th July 2019 hovered  briefly at a Rosebay Willowherb flower but didn't actually feed before flying off, and I was unable to relocate it.  I've never recorded this species in my garden but with it being a small sheltered garden there isn't much room to grow suitable sun-loving flowers.


Bedstraw Hawk-moth Hyles gallii - None.  I've never seen this scarce migrant locally (only at the coast where it breeds).  Records in mid Norfolk are few and far between but there's a chance I might get one here one day.


Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor - Totals of 37 caught in the garden between 30th May and 1st August 2019 and 33 between 18th May and 23rd July 2020 - both at or close to the bottom end of the range of annual numbers of this species here.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows, 5 at Hellesdon, 2 at Weybourne, one at Brancaster and a total of 8 on Mull.  A neighbour asked my to go and have a look at a mystery creature she had found on a plant in her garden on 16th August 2020 - it was an Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar.

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 30th May 2019

Elephant Hawk-moth, Carsaig (Mull), 11th June 2019

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Elephant Hawk-moth caterpillar, North Elmham, 16th August 2020

Small Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila porcellus - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  I caught 3 in my garden in 2015 and one the following year but none now for 4 consecutive years.  None in 2020.

Small Elephant Hawk-moth, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Next page: Geometridae

Eyed Hawk, a new froghopper and other bits and pieces

There were no stand-out highlights in the moth trap on 3rd September, though an Eyed Hawk-moth is always nice, especially after things have slowed down in the autumn.  The others were Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Light Emeralds, 12 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spot Rustic, Nutmeg, 3 Common Wainscots, 5 Flounced Rustics, Rosy Rustic and Straw Dot.

Eyed Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 3rd September

There was also a Hornet and the following caddisflies: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula and 7 Limnephilus lunatus.

Moth trapping at the meadows the following night produced a reasonable variety for this late in the  season: Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Chinese Characters, Blood-vein, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Sharp-angled Carpet, 3 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, Common Wave, Light Emerald, 4 Flame Shoulders, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 35 Square-spot Rustics, White-point, Brown-spot Pinion, 4 Centre-barred Sallows, Vine's Rustic, Spectacle, Straw Dot and 2 Snouts.

White-point, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Just one mayfly noticed, a Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita.  A good variety of caddisflies though: Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, 2 Small Silver Sedges Lepidostoma hirtum, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus auricula, 30 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Leafhoppers included a probable female Macrosteles sexnotatus and a new species for me, Aphrodes makarovi.

Aphrodes makarovi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

Beetles included Strawberry Seed Beetle Harpalus rufipes, Pea-leaf Weevil Sitona lineatus and, feeding on Burdock flowers, Curtonotus aulicus.

Curtonotus aulicus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th September

At home that night Pine Carpet was new for the year.  Other highlights were Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella and Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella. The former was my third this year of a species I hadn't previously recorded here and the latter was my fourth this year of a species that until this year hadn't been recorded anywhere else in Norfolk.

Beech Pigmy Stigmella hemargyrella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

Thatch Neb Bryotropha basaltinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th September

By recent standards 32 species in a night was excellent - the rest were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 7 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 6 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 4 Blood-veins, Grey Pine Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, 3 Light Emeralds, 13 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Square-spot Rustics, Nutmeg, Angle Shades, Flounced Rustic, 4 Vine's Rustics, Burnished Brass, Straw Dot and 4 Snouts.

Mayflies and lacewings were 3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, Cunctochrysa albolineata and Hemerobius humulinus.

There were very large numbers of caddisflies in the trap, though no unusual species among them: 10 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 3 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 13 Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus flavicornis, 46 Limnephilus lunatus, 2 Limnephilus marmoratus and 3 Limnephilus sparsus.

Not much else noted - Forest Bug, the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator, 5 Hornets and a Common Frog.

The following night the leafhopper Kybos betulicola appeared in my study

In the moth trap there were two new moths for the garden year-list, Brown-spot Pinion and Lunar Underwing.

Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 5th September

Lunar Underwing, North Elmham, 5th September

Other moths were Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Grey Poplar Bell Epinotia nisella, 4 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Garden Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, Dusky Thorn, Engrailed, Light Emerald, Flame Shoulder, 6 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Common Wainscot, Frosted Orange, Vine's Rustic and 3 Snouts.

Other insects included the mayfly Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, the brown lacewing Hemerobius lutescens, the caddisflies 3 Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 4 Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus flavicornis, 16 Limnephilus lunatus, 3 Limnephilus marmoratus and 2 Limnephilus sparsus, a Harlequin Ladybird and 2 Hornets.

Moth numbers continued to dwindle with the following on 6th: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Single-dotted Wave, Brimstone Moth, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings and Setaceous Hebrew Character.  There was one mayfly (Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum), one beetle (Bradycellus verbasci) and these caddisflies: Hydropsyche pellucidula, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus flavicornis, 6 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus sparsus.

Next day a walk round the meadows produced a few insects including Migrant Hawker, Common Darter, Small Copper and Comma.

Small Copper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

A White-shouldered Smudge Ypsolopha parenthesella was the only adult moth found but vacated leaf-mines of Scrubland Pigmy Stigmella plagicolella and 2 Apple Leaf-miners Lyonetia clerkella were also seen.

vacated leaf-mine of Scrubland Pigmy Stigmella plagicolella in Blackthorn, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

vacated leaf-mines of Apple Leaf-miners Lyonetia clerkella in Wild Cherry, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Other insects included 2 7-spot Ladybirds, the hoverfly Myathropa florea, a Turnip Sawfly and lots of wasps feeding on ivy.  They included lots of Common Wasps, at least one German Wasp and 2 Hornets, but among them I had brief views of a Colletes bee which was very probably an Ivy Bee.  Ivy Bee was new to science as recently as 1993 and arrived in the UK in 2001, reaching Norfolk by 2014.  It is now common in many places but as hard as I tried to find one at the meadows this autumn this brief sighting was the nearest I got.  Sadly it wasn't quite good enough to be 100% sure - I believe there are one or two other Colletes species that can visit ivy at this time of year and my views were not sufficient to rule out one of them.

Turnip Sawfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Shaking some Field Maple keys produced the barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi, a harvestman and 2 spiders.  The latter were I think immature, or at least I could not see enough detail in their epigyne to be able to match them to any species, but I think they were an Araniella sp. and a Philodromus sp.  My references on harvestmen are sparse but from searching the internet I'm pretty sure this one was Paroligolophus agrestis, a species I hadn't previously identified.

Ectopsocus briggsi (female), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Philodromus sp., North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

Paroligolophus agrestis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th September

At home that night a small selection of moths consisted of Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Blood-vein, Double-striped Pug, Lilac Beauty, Early Thorn, Light Emerald, Heart and Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, 6 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Square-spot Rustic and 2 Common Wainscots.  There were 2 Hornets and the only other insects noted were caddisflies: 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 10 Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Limnephilus marmoratus.

2 Sallows were new for the year the following night.

Sallow, North Elmham, 8th September

Other moths were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Brown Rowan Argent Argyresthia semifusca, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Small Birch Bell Epinotia ramella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, Chinese Character, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Garden Carpets, Treble-bar, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Dusky Thorns, Early Thorn, 2 Light Emeralds, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Yellow Underwings, 2 Square-spot Rustics, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown-spot Pinion, Lunar Underwing and Snout.

Other insects included 3 mayflies, all Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, 2 green lacewings, both Cunctochrysa albolineata, 4 Forest Bugs and 2 beeetles, both Aphodius rufipes.  Caddisflies were Hydropsyche siltalai, 5 Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus flavicornis, 15 Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus and Limnephilus sparsus.