A good afternoon at the meadows

Had a wander round the Cathedral Meadows at North Elmham on the afternoon/evening of 3rd June and found a decent selection of wildlife.  Dragonflies included 2 Emperors and butterflies included a Common Blue; there were two displaying Green Drakes (Mayflies) Ephemera danica, the green lacewing Chrysopa perla, a Coniopterix Waxfly (a female so not identifable to species) and the Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis.

Common Blue Damselfly, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Chrysopa perla, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Plenty of moths, the highlights of which were 2 Pea Moths Cydia nigricana, Obscure Drill Dichrorampha aeratana and Small Yellow Underwing in the lower meadows and White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi and Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana along the disused railway.

Obscure Drill Dichrorampha aeratana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

White-speckled Clothes Moth Nemapogon koenigi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Other moths were Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, 2 Yellow-barred Long-horns Nemophora degeerella, Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Hedge Case-bearers Coleophora striatipennella, Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana, 11 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Silver-ground Carpet, Cinnabar, 4 Silver Ys and 4 Straw Dots.

Oak Carl Tischeria ekebladella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Bugs included a Parent Bug and the mirid bug Psallus perrisi, and there was the barkfly Graphopsocus cruciatus.

Psallus perrisi (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Graphopsocus cruciatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

A good number of beetles included 4 Garden Chafers, Cantharis rufa, Cantharis livida, 2 24-spot Ladybirds, 3 Swollen-thighed Beetles, 3 Grammoptera ruficornis, Phyllobius pomaceus and  Phyllobius roboretanus.

Garden Chafer, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Cantharis rufa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Swollen-thighed Beetle (female), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Grammoptera ruficornis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Phyllobius roboretanus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Hoverflies included Sphaerophoria taeniata (a new one for me), Eristalis horticola, Helophilus pendulus and Volucella bombylans.  Among the Hymenoptera were Small Black Ant Lasius niger, the sawfly Tenthredo arcuata, Tree Bumblebee, Common Carder Bee and Early Bumblebee.

Spaerophoria taeniata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Helophilus pendulus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Volucella bombylans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Tenthredo arcuata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Tree Bumblebee, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

Early Bumblebee, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd June

I managed to identify two spiders - Common Cucumber Spider Araniella cucurbitina and Metellina mengei.

Cucumber Spiders Araniella sp. - the lower one seemed to check out as a female cucurbitina

Freyer's Pug and Small Angle Shades were the only new moths for the year at home that night.

Freyer's Pug, North Elmham, 3rd June

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham, 3rd June

Other moths were 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 9 Hook-streak Grass-veneers Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, 2 Lesser Pearls Sitochroa verticalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 3 Common Swifts, 3 Pebble Hook-tips, Blood-vein, Treble Brown Spot, Flame Carpet, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Garden Carpets, 3 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, Currant Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Pale Oak Beauty, Common Wave, 2 Light Emeralds, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, Swallow Prominent, Marbled Brown, 9 White Ermines, Cinnabar, 7 Heart and Darts, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Bright-line Brown-eye, 6 Common Wainscots, 3 Brown Rustics, 4 Treble Lines, 5 Mottled Rustics, Silver Y and 8 Straw Dots.

There was also the Mayfly Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, the caddisflies Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus lunatus and a Water Boatman that was new for the house: Callicorixa praeusta.

Callicorixa praeusta, North Elmham, 3rd June

Springtail and spring moths

A few nights with no moths came to an end with a Chestnut on 8th February.  The following day I identified a spider in the house as Amaurobius similis (I'm still working on the assumption that the similar fenestralis wouldn't be indoors but I'm not quite sure I've interpreted that correctly).

Amaurobius similis, North Elmham, 9th February

That night a Winter Moth was my latest ever and first February record.

Winter Moth, North Elmham, 9th February

Also in the trap was a Springtail.  I don't have a key for Springtail species identification but as far as I can tell from googling this one was Orchesella cincta (a very common species).  I think I've seen one before but I can't find any reference to it in my notes so I'm counting it as a first.  Springtails are supposed to be the most abundant creatures just about everywhere, but being tiny and living in the soil most of us are completely unaware of their existence.  They don't normally come to light - on the contrary - but I've seen at least 3 of the larger species when moth trapping now.  I don't recall seeing any actually inside the trap before though and it makes you wonder how it got there - did it jump in, or did it somehow get dropped in?

Orchesella cincta, North Elmham, 9th February

There were 2 Chestnuts the following night, the last moths for a couple of nights.  A 2-spot Ladybird woke up from hibernation in my study on 12th which reminded me I'd not put down any of the Harlequins that were doing likewise yet this year.

There were 2 moths on each of 13th, 14th and 15th: Early Moth and Chestnut, Dotted Border and Chestnut and Early Moth and Chestnut.

Nothing on 16th but the night of 17th February was the best night of the year so far in terms of numbers and variety with 8 moths of 4 species: March Moth, Pale Brindled Beauty, Hebrew Character and 5 Chestnuts. The March Moth was new for the year and the 5 Chestnuts was a record count for here.  Not bad for a frosty night!

March Moth, North Elmham, 17th February

I'm beginning to work through a few beetles I retained earlier last year but couldn't key them out successfully at the time.  Having practised a bit more over the course of last year I think I'm hoping I'll be able to name some of them now.  Certainly it's starting off that way.  The first I've re-examined was a Cabbage Flea Beetle Phyllotreta cruciferae, one of at least 6 similar beetles at Hills and Holes on 7th May and a new species for me.

Cabbage Leaf Beetle Phyllotreta cruciferae, Hills and Holes, 7th May 2017

The second and third were both species I'd identified before without resorting to keys, but for some reaons I'd hit a barrier when I looked at them in the spring.  Both were from 11th May, one a Tabacco-coloured Longhorn Beetle Alosterna tabacicolor from Thursford Wood and the other a Common Grammoptera Grammoptera ruficornis, one of 30 seen at Brancaster.

Tobacco-coloured LonghornBeetle Alosterna tabacicolor, Thursford Wood, 11th May 2017

Common Grammoptera Grammoptera ruficornis, Broad Lane, Brancaster, 11th May 2017

The next one eventually proved to be Luperus longicornis, another new species for me this time from Holt Lowes on 13th June.

Luperus longicornis, Holt Lowes, 13th June 2017

Dowdy Plume - a couple of months early!

The highlight on the night of Saturday 17th May was a Large Long-horn Nematopogon swammerdamella.  I've seen a lot of these this year (a good year, or just me getting out more than normal?) but this was my first at home.

Large Long-horn Nematopogon Swammerdamella, North Elmham, 17th May

Otherwise it was a quiet night with 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Green Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, 4 Treble Lines and 3 Limnephilus auriculas (caddis).   The following night Clouded Border was new for the year but apart from that there were just 2 Green Carpets, White Ermine and Spectacle.

A few more moths on Monday 19th but only Silver-ground Carpet was new for the year for the garden.  Others were Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Maiden's Blush, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Green Carpet, Sandy Carpet, Mottled Pug, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, Clouded-bordered Brindle and 2 Treble Lines.  Also the caddis Glyphotaelius pellucidus (2).

Silver-ground Carpet, North Elmham, 19th May

Next day I found what I initially assumed to be yet another Varied Carpet Beetle in the house.  This one was darker than normal though so I looked a bit more closely and found a few more differences.  It proved to be the closely-related Anthrenus fuscus, a new one for me.

Anthrenus fuscus, North Elmham, 20th May

No new moths for the year that night: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Common Swift, Silver-ground Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, Peppered Moth, Waved Umber, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart and 3 Treble Lines.  However the caddisfly Limnephilus vittatus was new for the year.

Limnephilus vittatus, North Elmham, 20th May

Peppered Moth, North Elmham, 20th May

Next day this Early Bumblebee appeared in the garden (not very early).  It appears to be the first time I've identified this species here.

Early Bumblebee, North Elmham, 21st May

A few moths seen at Ryburgh over this period included Plain Golds Micropterix calthella, Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and Silver-ground Carpets.  This Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella appeared on the hide window ledge as I was looking out.

Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella, Great Ryburgh, 20th May

Beetles at Ryburgh included Dalopius marginatus.

I went up to Burnham Overy on Wednesday 21st and found a few moths of note.  Most surprising was this plume moth.  It recalled examples I'd found in precisely the same place last year which proved to be Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus and I retained this one to check if it was.  When taking it through the key I landed on Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla on account of the brown (rather than grey) first lobe.  In truth it was greyish brown and I wasn't convinced it was pterodactyla - though a much commoner species these normally look a warmer brown colour overall.  However zophodactylus isn't meant to fly until July, so it couldn't possibly be that, I thought.  Well it was a male and its genitalia showed very obvious projections to the apex of the tegumen which seems to be a diagnostic feature of zophodactlus.  Moreover the uncus didn't extend beyond the tegumen which it should on pterodactyla.  I couldn't find the anellus arms (presumably they came away during the prep?) but I think there's enough without them to establish this as Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus - leaving only the question of what it was doing flying in May?!  Is this species developing a new first generation maybe, as several other species have done in recent year?

Dowdy Plume Stenoptilia zophodactylus (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 21st May

Less surprising was this Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans.

Breckland Plume Crombrugghia distans, Burnham Overy, 21st May

This Long-horn looked small making me suspect Small Barred Long-horn Adela croesella over Yellow-barred Long-horn Nematopogon degeerella.  But I couldn't catch it and couldn't positively judge some of the usual features from my slightly ropey photos.  In the end I settled on Adela croesella, partly due to the apparent size and partly because of the way the yellow band curved round to hit the costa perpendicularly.  Not sure if this is a reliable feature or not but on most degeerella it seems to hit the costa angled slightly towards the apex.

Small Barred Long-horn Adela croesella, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Other moths recorded at Burnham Overy included 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 15 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Desert Groundling Bryotropha desertella, 3 Downland Conches Aethes tesserana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, 2 Green Carpets and 3 Cinnabars. Also a couple of Yellow-tail caterpillars.

Downland Conch Aethes tesserana, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Burnham Overy, 21st May

Desert Groundling Bryotropha desertella, Burnham Overy, 21st May

This beetle proved to be Common Grammoptera Grammoptera ruficornis.

Common Grammoptera Grammoptera ruficornis, Burnham Overy, 21st May

That night at home the only moths were 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Poplar Hawkmoth, 4 White Ermines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder and 5 Treble Lines.

Poplar Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 21st May

Other insects included Common Earwig and my first Cockchafer of the year here.

Cockchafer, North Elmham, 21st May