Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Geometers (Geometridae) - part 8: Pugs III and Seraphims etc. (Eupithecia III to Trichopteryx)

GEOMETERS (GEOMETRIDAE) (continued)


Common Pug Eupithecia vulgata - Totals of 146 in my garden between 15th May and 4th July 2019 and 119 between 26th April and 29th June 2020.  146 is my highest total so far (average is 114).  Elsewhere 15 at the meadows and also recorded at Bintree Wood, Sculthorpe Moor, Hills and Holes, Weybourne, Keswick (Cumbria) and on Mull.  I'm always a bit paranoid about overlooking one of the scarce or rare pugs so tend to check more than I probably really need to, but this approach has got me a few interesting records in the past that I would have overlooked (including one or two of my Satyr Pugs for example).  Worn ones can be particularly confusing and it's not all that unusual for me to get mixed up between even familiar species like Grey Pug.  I've picked fresher examples to show below so these are among the more straightforward ones that I checked, although the third one had me quite puzzled, not that there were any clear candidates for an alternative ID.

male Common Pug, Sculthorpe Moor, 26th April 2019

male Common Pug, North Elmham, 29th May 2019

male Common Pug, North Elmham, 30th May 2019

male and female Common Pugs, North Elmham, 3rd June 2019

female Common Pug, North Elmham, 19th June 2019

male Common Pug, North Elmham, 20th June 2019

male Common Pug, North Elmham, 23rd May 2020

Mottled Pug Eupithecia exiguata - A total of 11 here 19th May and 2nd June 2019 making it just about my worse year here (average about 16) followed by an on-par 16 between 8th May and 1st June 2020.  Elsewhere one at the meadows and 2 at Hills and Holes.

Mottled Pug, North Elmham, 19th May 2019

Mottled Pug, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Yarrow Pug Eupithecia millefoliata - One in the garden on 23rd July 2019 was a new moth for the garden and only my second adult anywhere.

female Yarrow Pug, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Tawny Speckled Pug Eupithecia icterata - Totals of 7 caught in the garden between 25th July and 25th August 2019 and 14 between 8th and 19th August 2020, either side of the average of around 10-11 per year.  Elsewhere one next door and one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.


Bordered Pug Eupithecia succenturiata - 4 in the garden between 5th July and 8th August 2019 and 5 between 24th July and 11th August 2020 (the last being my latest ever).  5 was my best annual total but this species is quite erratic with 3-4 in 2016, 2018 and 2019 and none at all in 2015 or 2017.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 7th July 2019 and one next door on 8th August 2019.

Bordered Pug, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Bordered Pug, North Elmham, 8th July 2019

Shaded Pug Eupithecia subumbrata - None.  This is quite scarce in Norfolk away from the Brecks and the coast but I caught one here in my garden in 2016 and 2 together in 2017.


Grey Pug Eupithecia subfuscata - Totals of 12 trapped here between 2nd June and 12th July 2019 and 10 between 21st May and 1st July, which are very average numbers.  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows, one at Hellesdon, one at Hills and Holes (on 21st May 2020, my earliest ever) and 5 on Mull.

male Grey Pug, North Elmham, 3rd June 2019

male Grey Pug, North Elmham, 7th June 2019

female Grey Pug, North Elmham, 10th June 2019

male Grey Pug, North Elmham, 11th June 2020

Treble-bar Aplocera plagiata - An average year in 2019 with 10 trapped here between 2nd June and 30th August then an exceptional 37 between 18th May and 26th August 2020 (my previous best annual total was 15).  Elsewhere one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019 and one at the meadows on 8th September 2020. 

Treble-bar, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

female Treble-bar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Lesser Treble-bar Aplocera efformata - None.  I carefully check each and every Treble-bar I find for Lesser Treble-bar but so far have found absolutely no evidence that they exist.


Streak Chesias legatella - Singles caught in the garden on 17th October 2019, 17th October 2020 and  8th November 2020.  These were my 3rd to 5th records here following singles in November 2014 and November 2015.

Streak, North Elmham, 17th October 2019

Streak, North Elmham, 17th October 2020

Streak, North Elmham, 8th November 2020

Broom-tip Chesias rufata - None.  I've only seen this species in the Brecks which is where the vast majority of recent Norfolk records have been, but there are a couple of recent records from elsewhere in the county and a good spread of older records, and there are some good patches of Broom locally so I'm optimistic that it might be lurking round here somewhere.


Grey Carpet Lithostege griseata - None.  Like Broom-tip, Grey Carpet is mainly found in the Brecks and that's the only place I've seen it.  However unlike Broom-tip, there have been quite a few records of Grey Carpets in mid Norfolk (e.g. Dave Norgate had one in Toftwood in 2018 and David Knight has had one just down the road from here in Worthing) so I reckon I've got more than half a chance of getting one locally sometime.


Seraphim Lobophora halterata - I think this was one of the 2-3 commonest moths that I'd not seen until 2019 but that year it finally gave itself up with one to MV light at the meadows on 25th May, swiftly followed by another to LEDs at a different part of the meadows on 31st May.  Further afield one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.

Seraphim, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Seraphim, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Seraphim, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Small Seraphim Lobophora halterata - Singles trapped in the garden on 11th July 2019 and 24th June 2020.  I've now caught 5 here, until the last one all in odd years.

Small Seraphim, North Elmham, 11th July 2019

Small Seraphim, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata - Just one caught in the garden in 2019, on 8th August.  Numbers of this species fluctuate greatly but this was exceptionally bad - 5 was my previous worst year and in 2016 I caught 38.  2020 was only a bit better with 7 between 5th and 21st August.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 4th August 2019.

Yellow-barred Brindle, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

Early Tooth-striped Trichopteryx carpinata - None in 2019 but I added this species to my garden list in 2020 catching one on 22nd April and then a different one on 24th April.  There was only one previous record in this 10km square but having caught one at my last house in Bawdeswell and also one at Bawdeswell Heath, I knew they weren't very far away.

Early Tooth-striped, North Elmham, 22nd April 2020

Early Tooth-striped, North Elmham, 24th April 2020

Orange Underwing Archiearis parthenias - None.  I haven't found this species in North Elmham yet but I've had it not very far away in Bintree Wood (and at Sparham Pools).  I generally don't find many day-flying moths in my garden (although maybe there's a chance as there's a Birch in my front garden and another in the neighbour's garden behind mine) and I don't have much chance at the meadows either as the meadows are quite Birch-depleted.


Next page: more Geometridae

A bumper crop of new moths for the year

I found this Corn Moth Nemapogon granella in the house on Friday 25th May, the third consecutive year I've recorded this generally scarce species, all inside the house.

Corn Moth Nemapogon granella, North Elmham, 25th May

While I was out trapping at the Meadows I had the trap running in the garden, where during the course of the night I trapped exactly the same number of moth species as I'd caught at the Meadows, 61.  These included a notable total of 16 new for the year: Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella, 3 Bird’s-nest Moths Tinea trinotella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, Garden Mompha Mompha subbistrigella, Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Grey Pug, Brown Silver-line, Setaceous Hebrew Character and Rustic Shoulder-knot.

Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella, North Elmham, 25th May

Bird's-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, North Elmham, 25th May

Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

Garden Mompha Mompha subbistrigella, North Elmham, 25th May

Hedge Tortrix Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 25th May

Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, North Elmham, 25th May

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 25th May

Common Marbled Carpet, North Elmham, 25th May

Broken-barred Carpet, North Elmham, 25th May

Foxglove Pug, North Elmham, 25th May

Grey Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 25th May

The other moths trapped were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 White-shouldered House Moths Endrosis sarcitrella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Common Birch Bell Epinotia immundana, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 2 Common Swifts, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Small Rivulet, Mottled Pug, 8 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, Common White Wave, Poplar Hawk-moth, Pale Tussock, 3 White Ermines, Cinnabar, Small Square-spot, Common Wainscot and 5 Treble Lines.

Two caddisfly species were new for the year too: Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche pellucidula.  The only other caddis was Limnephilus sparsus.

Ithytrichia lamellaris (female), North Elmham, 25th May

Hydropsyche pellucidula (female), North Elmham, 25th May

A Common Wasp was the only other by-catch I identified.

A first for Norfolk - nearly!

On Monday 19th June I considered having a wander round Beetley Common, just 5 minutes away and good for insects last time I was there.  But there had been a Lesser Emperor at Selbrigg Pond for a few days and it was reported as still being there, and I've never seen a Lesser Emperor in the UK, so I thought I'd head there instead.  That proved to be a very unfortunate decision!  There were a few dragonflies on view including normal Emperors and Red-eyed Damselflies, but I couldn't find the Lesser Emperor.  A couple sitting by the pond said there had been people there watching it who left just before I arrived, and I someone who must have arrived just after I left tweeted that it was still there shortly afterwards, so it seems that I was very unlucky.  To make matters worse Kevin du Rose visited Beetley Common while I was at Selbrigg and found, guess what - a Lesser Emperor!

The lady sitting by the pond found this caterpillar which she wanted me to identify.  I'm rubbish at caterpillars and couldn't help, but having now looked it up I think it's an Oak Beauty.

Oak Beauty, Selbrigg Pond, 19th June

I made up for the disappointment with Lesser Emperor when it came to checking the moths I caught overnight.  Among them was a smart streaky grey gelechiid which looked interesting.  It looked like an Anarsia species, but not Anarsia spartiella, the one I've seen before - it was too streaky.  It looked more like Peach Twig Borer Anarsia lineatella, a species only recorded in Norfolk once before and usually found among imported peaches.  Well this wasn't among imported peaches and I wasn't convinced it was this species, but on first look I couldn't find any similar species - certainly not on the Norfolk Moths website anyway, nor the UK Moths website.  My next stop was Lepiforum where I discovered a species called Anarsia innoxiella, very similar to Peach Twig Borer.  Helpfully Lepiforum has an image detailing the differences between the two species and sure enough my moth was spot on for Anarsia innoxiella!  I then checked back on Norfolk Moths, UK Moths and some other British moth websites and couldn't find innoxiella mentioned anywhere... surely I hadn't found a first for Britain?  Next stop was Google and that led me to the Gelechiid Recording Scheme and there on its news page was the information that Anarsia innoxiella had been split from Peach Twig Borer only as recently as March 2017.  It stated that, "Initial examination of recently light-trapped British material, which were thought to be A. lineatella, suggest many could well be referable to the new species, Anarsia innoxiella."  Hmm, "could well be"?  Does that mean innoxiella hasn't actually been confirmed yet?  Are they waiting for a specimen?  Could mine be the first confirmed British record?  Well no, for elsewhere on the same website I found a page for the species which clarified that there have indeed been confirmed records and that "Early indications are that it is well established in south-east England but should be considered at best local in its distribution."  So certainly not new to the UK but maybe to Norfolk?  None on the Norfolk Moths website so it was looking hopeful that I might at least have found a first for Norfolk.  Well sadly it turns out that it wasn't even that - not quite - for Andy Wallis had trapped one just three nights earlier.  I'd been pipped to the post - and not for the first time (a very similar thing happened with my first Italian Tubic Metalampra italica).  Still, a very nice find, second for Norfolk, first for VC28 and of course a new moth for me.

Anarsia innoxiella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Among the rest of the catch several species were new for the year including two I have rarely seen before (both on just single occasions here before) - Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta and Haworth's Pug.

Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta, North Elmham, 19th June

Others new for the year here were Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Pale Water-veneer Donacaula forficella, Leopard Moth, Peach Blossom, July Highflyer and Poplar Grey.

Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, North Elmham, 19th June

Peach Blossom, North Elmham, 19th June

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 19th June

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana was my third record and first outside of January/February.

Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Satyr Pug was also my third, and for the third time its identity wasn't realised until after it had died.  Here it is with the Haworth's Pug and a Grey Pug also caught that night - I suppose I shouldn't beat myself up too much for not realising I had all three species straight away...

Satyr Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Haworth's Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Grey Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

The other moths caught were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella, 2 Woundwort Case-bearers Coleophora lineolea, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 3 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 11 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 4 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 13 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 5 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 8 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Buff Arches, 2 Common Emeralds, Dwarf Cream Wave, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 8 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, 6 Barred Straws, 4 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Privet Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, 3 Rosy Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 9 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Short-cloaked Moths, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, Shears, Common Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Marbled Minor, 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 11 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, 20 Straw Dots, 3 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.

Osier Case-bearer Coleophora lusciniaepennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 19th June

Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, North Elmham, 19th June

Privet Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 19th June

Caddisflies were represented by 2 Ecnomus tenellus, Mystacides longicornis and Oecetis lacustris, and Mayflies by a Green Drake Ephemera danica.  There was another Fly Bug Reduvius personatus in the trap along with two other bugs that were new for the year here: Stenotus binotatus and the leafhopper Oncopsis subangulata.

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham, 19th June

Oncopsis subangulata, North Elmham, 19th June