Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 13: Darts to True Lover's Knot

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE) (continued)


Pearly Underwing Peridroma saucia - None.  I've caught this migrant species here twice, in 2014 and 2015.


White-line Dart Euxoa tritici - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019; none in 2020.  This species is relatively scarce inland and I've only caught one candidate here.  That individual appeared to be a clear-cut White-line Dart based on all exterior criteria but the genitalia were a clear match for (female) Garden Dart.  It is said that there may be 2-3 species currently lumped together as White-line Dart - I wonder if that may explain the confusion with that example?

White-line Dart, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Garden Dart Euxoa nigricans - None.  I have never seen a convincing example of this species but I must stand a fair chance of catching one round here sometime.


Heart and Dart Agrotis exclamationis - 2019 was my best year for this species despite being away for a week during the middle of their peak flight period, with a total of 230 between 22nd May and 26th July, including my highest day-count (or rather night-count) of 17 on 7th June.  By contrast 2020 was one of my poorer years with 70 here between 19th May and 26th June.  My average annual total is 120.  Elsewhere 11 at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood, 6 in Hellesdon, 2 at Weybourne, one in Keswick and 6 at Carsaig (Mull).

Heart and Dart, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

female Heart and Dart, North Elmham, 26th July 2019 - I'd thought this one might be a Heart and Club or possibly Turnip Moth but dissected it to confirm - it was in fact a Heart and Dart

Heart and Dart, North Elmham, 19th May 2020

Turnip Moth Agrotis segetum - Really good years for this species - by far my best with at least 139 between 22nd May (my earliest ever) and 2nd November 2019 and 111 between 22nd May and 30th August 2020 (including a record 14 on 5th August).  During 2019's flight period I was away for a week and there were 4 nights when I didn't count them, so the true total would have been a bit higher still.  I'd caught 51 in 2018 but prior to that only 26 between August 2014 and the end of 2017.  Elsewhere recorded next door on 4 nights, 17 at the meadows (over 5 nights), 2 at Row Heath (West Runton) and 2 in Cornwall.  I have often found separating these from Heart and Club to be quite troublesome and have dissected quite a few to check I'm on the right track (including all those shown below) - though I must be gaining more confidence after a couple of good years as I didn't check very many in 2020.

female Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 2nd June 2019

male Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 17th June 2019

male Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 2nd July 2019

male Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 21st July 2019

male Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 27th July 2019

male Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 7th August 2019

Heart and Club Agrotis clavis - Total of 37 in the garden trap between 22nd June and 13th July 2019 and 18 between 10th June and 11th July 2020.  The two years were either side of the average annual tally here of 26, and included a record count of 7 on 30th June 2019.  Elsewhere one at the meadows, one at Bintree Wood and 3 at Weybourne.  The second example shown below was quite unlike any other I recall having seen before though I caught another similar example in 2020 (third one shown below).

female Heart and Club, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

male Heart and Club, North Elmham, 28th June 2019

male Heart and Club, North Elmham, 10th June 2020

Archer's Dart Agrotis vestigialis - None.  I've only ever found this species at the coast but it was apparently recorded twice in 2019 at a site that I think is less than 2 miles away.


Sand Dart Agrotis ripae - None.  One at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.  This coastal species is rather unlikely to turn up here, though there are a few inland records including one as far inland as I am in 2020.

Sand Dart, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta - A total of 40 in the garden between 23rd April and 5th June 2019 and then at least 18 between 23rd July and 27th September (but not counted on 9 dates so likely a few more than that).  Allowing for those few extras this was a pretty average total.  In 2020 just 6 in spring between 8th and 17th May but then 66 between 14th July and 22nd September including a record count of 15 on 31st July.  Elsewhere recorded next door on 3 nights and at the meadows on 5 nights (total 12 moths).

Shuttle-shaped Dart, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Shuttle-shaped Darts, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Shuttle-shaped Dart, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Dark Sword-grass Agrotis ipsilon - One at the meadows on 23rd June 2020 and one at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020; none in 2019.  I've seen 3 of these migrant moths here in the garden, all in 2017-18.

Dark Sword-grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020

Flame Axylia putris - A total of 25 trapped here between 1st June and 25th July 2019, easily my worst total here up to then (had averaged 58 a year from 2015 to 2018), but 3 times better than 2020 when just 8 caught here between 3rd June and 22nd July.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows, 6 at Weybourne and one at Carsaig (Mull), all in 2019.

Flame, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta - Totals of 45 caught in the garden between 25th May and 3rd September 2019 and 39 between 9th May and 8th September 2020, my worst totals here.  I've not recorded less than 100 before, even in 2014 when I didn't move in until the second week of August.  Elsewhere recorded next door on all 4 nights, 14 at the meadows (10 nights), one at Whitwell Street, one at Sculthorpe Moor on 26th April, 2 at Swanton Great Wood, one at Hills and Holes and 8 on Mull.

Flame Shoulder, North Elmham, 9th May 2020

Radford's Flame Shoulder Ochropleura leucogaster - One came to light at Tresidder in Cornwall on 9th October 2020, the highlight of my week in Cornwall and a new moth for me.  Until recently an extremely rare vagrant to the UK but now this species seems to be turning up quite regularly on the south coast (and with the first in Suffolk in 2019 perhaps we can expect one in Norfolk before too long?).

Radford's Flame Shoulder, Tresidder (Cornwall), 9th October 2020

Purple Clay Diarsia brunnea - A total of 10 trapped at our accommodation at Carsaig on Mull between 9th and 13th June 2019.  One at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020 was the only one I caught in Norfolk in 2019-20 but previously I have caught 4 in the garden here, all between 2015 and 2017.  Most of the individuals I've caught in Norfolk in previous years were pretty worn but fresh examples like these are really quite magnificent.

Purple Clays, Carsaig (Mull), 9th June 2019

Purple Clay, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Ingrailed Clay Diarsia mendica - Totals of 23 caught in the garden moth trap between 14th May (my earliest ever) and 26th June 2019 and 20 between 26th May and 20th June 2020.   These were my worst showings - I averaged around 35 a year here.  Elsewhere one at Bintree Wood and one at Weybourne on the later date of 5th July 2019.

Ingrailed Clay, North Elmham, 14th May 2019

male Ingrailed Clay, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Small Square-spot Diarsia rubi - Just 2 in the garden here in 2019, on 25th and 27th August, and 8 between 1st June and 16th September 2020 - a long way off the 73 that I caught here in 2015.  Looking at the last 5-6 years in isolation and you might think this species is in real trouble but like so many moths, it's a species that shows a clear pattern of peaks and troughs and we can still be optimistic that it will climb back out of the current downturn.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 31st May 2019 and one at Swanton Great Wood.

Small Square-spot, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Small Square-spot, North Elmham, 1st June 2020

Red Chestnut Cerastis rubricosa - 8 in the garden between 23rd March and 24th April 2019 and 4 between 18th and 27th March 2020.  2019 was my joint best year (with 2018, and following a blank year in 2017).  Elsewhere one at the meadows and my earliest ever at Cranwich Heath on 14th March 2020.

Red Chestnut, North Elmham, 23rd March 2019

Red Chestnut, North Elmham, 24th March 2020

True Lover's Knot Lycophotia porphyrea - 5 caught on Mull between 9th and 13th June 2019 (my earliest ever records) and one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.  None in 2020.  I've never recorded this species locally but it has been found very close to here so maybe I will do one day...

True Lover's Knot, Carsaig (Mull), 9th June 2019

Next page: more Noctuidae

A few quieter nights

A visit to Titchwell on Saturday 3rd June produced a few insects including Hairy Dragonfly, Large Skipper, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and Cinnabar.  At home a Tree Bumblebee appears to have been the first I've identified here.

That night Lime-speck Pug, Mottled Beauty and Pinion-streaked Snout were new for the year.

Pinion-streaked Snout, North Elmham, 3rd June

Other moths were 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 4 Common Swifts, Treble Brown Spot, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Currant Pug, Common Pug, Clouded Border, Common White Wave, 3 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth, Orange Footman, 9 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, 6 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Shears, Bright-line Brown-eye, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Clouded-bordered Brindle, Middle-barred Minor, 6 Treble Lines, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, 6 Straw Dots and Snout.

Another new bee for the house (I'm sure I must have had these before... just not identified any before) was White-tailed Bumblebee.  A Limnephilus lunatus was the only caddis and another new species for the house was the psyllid Chamaepsylla hartigii.

Chamaepsylla hartigii, North Elmham, 3rd June

Next day yet another new bumblebee for the house, again one I suspect has passed me by un-noticed (I've tended to only identify those that appeared in the moth trap or inside the house before) - Buff-tailed Bumblebee.  Also found in the garden during the day were White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, the first two of which were new for the year here.

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham, 4th June

New for the year that night were Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Flame and Shoulder-striped Wainscot.

Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, North Elmham, 4th June

Flame, North Elmham, 4th June

Shoulder-striped Wainscot, North Elmham, 4th June

Other moths were Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, 3 Common Swifts, Blood-vein, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common White Wave, 5 Light Emeralds, 3 White Ermines, 11 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, 5 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Brown Rustics, 3 Marbled Minors, 5 Treble Lines and 8 Straw Dots.  Also the caddis Limnephilus lunatus.

New for the year on Monday 5th June were Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Riband Wave and the bug Pinalitus cervinus.

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th June

Riband Wave, North Elmham, 5th June

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 5th June

Other moths were Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Common Swift, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Willow Beauty, 3 Light Emeralds, Elephant Hawk-moth, 4 White Ermines, Ingrailed Clay, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 3 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors, Treble Lines, Spectacle and 4 Straw Dots.

With strong winds and driving rain there were hardly any moths on 6th June - just 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Ingrailed Clay and Brown Rustic.

Next day Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella and Uncertain were new for the year.

Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, North Elmham, 7th June

Uncertain, North Elmham, 7th June

Other moths were Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Common Swifts, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, 5 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Common White Waves, 2 Light Emeralds, Buff Ermine, Heart and Dart, 3 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Brown Rustics, 2 Marbled Minors, 2 Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 4 Straw Dots and Snout.

The green lacewing Nineta vittata was new for the year while caddisflies consisted of Hydropsyche pellucidula, Goera pilosa and Limnephilus auricula.

Nineta vittata, North Elmham, 7th June

Goera pilosa, North Elmham, 7th June

Last Friday

Putting things in the boot of my car as I left work on Friday I flushed 4 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella from the grass behind my car.  It was only a couple of footsteps on a large grassy area, so I suspected a new arrival of these influxing migrants.  I thought I might have more in the trap again and indeed I got the impression that there were more flying around the trap when I went to bed.  So when I checked the trap in the morning I was surprised to find numbers caught had gone down to 58.

There were plenty of other things in the trap including Broken-barred Carpet, both light and dark forms of Clouded-brindled Beauty and 7 new for the year: Skin Moth Monopis laevigella, 2 Clouded Borders, 2 Peppered Moths, Flame, Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor and Pale Mottled Willow.

Broken-barred Carpet, North Elmham, 3rd June

Skin moth Monopis laevigella, North Elmham, 3rd June

Peppered Moth, North Elmham, 3rd June

Flame, North Elmham, 3rd June

Clouded Border, North Elmham, 3rd June

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham, 3rd June

Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 3rd June

Pale Mottled Willow, North Elmham, 3rd June

Other moths that night were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Common Swifts, Silver-ground Carpet, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Poplar Hawkmoth, Pale Tussock, White Ermine, 2 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, 9 Treble Lines, Silver Y and 2 Spectacles.