Mullein and more

Dave and I have been keen to get our first moth session of the year at Hilgay Fen, the normally inaccessible reserve where Dave has permission to moth-trap.  Perhaps we were a little too keen as the conditions last Friday evening clearly weren't quite good enough for a decent session.  The forecast had been for cloud but this was revised shortly beforehand and we turned up to a clearer and cooler night than we had hoped for.

Consequently the moth list was quite poor: White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, Common Carpet, Lunar Marbled Brown, White Ermine, Flame Shoulder, Red Chestnut, Powdered Quaker and 2 Hebrew Characters.

Flame Shoulder, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Caddisflies included Agrypnia pagetana, Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis, 4 Limnephilus auriculas, Limnephilus griseus and Molanna angustata. Of those 3 were species I'd not identified before (pagetana, affinis and angustata).

Agrypnia pagetana, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Limnephilus affinis, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Limnephilus auricula, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Limnephilus griseus, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

I think this beetle must be Carabus nemoralis, another new one for me assuming my ID is correct.

presumed Carabus nemoralis, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Other inverts included Common Earwig, what I think must have been a young Common Garden Slug, Kentish Snail and White-lipped Snails.

 presumed Common Garden Slug (juvenile?), Hilgay Fen, 6th May

Kentish Snail, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

White-lipped Snails, Hilgay Fen, 6th May

At home that night the clear highlight was a Mullein, not only a fantastic looker but one I rarely encounter - indeed it was my first for 5 years (and therefore also new for the garden).

Mullein, North Elmham, 6th May

A good showing of Prominents too with Pebble Prominent, 3 Lesser Swallow Prominents and 4 Swallow Prominents, the Pebble and Swallow being new for the year.

Pebble Prominent, North Elmham, 6th May

Also Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Streamer, Yellow-barred Brindle, Waved Umber and Hebrew Character.

Caddisflies were Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus auricula.

Dotted Chestnut (and a cool beetle)

On Thursday night the garden moth trap only produced 8 species but it was definitely a night of quality not quantity.  The clear highlight was a Dotted Chestnut, a species first recorded in Norfolk as recently as 2013.  Since then there have been pushing 30 more, the majority in the Brecks but a few scattered elsewhere in the southern half of the county - the species is clearly on the increase.  Mine seems to be the most northerly record in Norfolk so far, if only by a gnat's whisker, but I don't suppose that will last for long.

Dotted Chestnut, North Elmham, 5th May

In addition to this no less than 4 moths were new for the year: White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Frosted Green, Waved Umber and Pale Tussock.

Frosted Green, North Elmham, 5th May

Pale Tussock, North Elmham, 5th May

Waved Umber, North Elmham, 5th May

The rest weren't bad either: 3 Streamers, Muslin Moth and 5 Hebrew Characters.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 5th May

Next day I had a quick scan over the marshes at Burnham Norton in my lunch break.  Not much doing there except my first Common Blue of the year so I moved on to Barrow Common.  A short walk through the wood on the southern side produced this fantastic beastie.  Wasn't sure what it was at first, first impression was a beetle but when I saw it more closely I figured it was some kind of shieldbug or something.  Further inspection of the photos reveals that I was right with my first impression, and it proves to be a beetle called Oiceoptoma thoracicum.

Oiceoptoma thoracicum, Barrow Common, 6th May

This Snail seems to be a Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana if I'm not mistaken...

Kentish Snail, Barrow Common, 6th May