Cydia ulicetana - garden first

When I got home from Row Heath it wasn't far off time to go through the moth trap at home.  The biggest surprise was a moth that's abundant around gorse but which hadn't made it to my garden before: Grey Gorse Piercer Cydia ulicetana.

Others new for the year here were Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana, Figure of Eighty, Clay Triple-lines, Purple Bar, Common White Wave, Small Square-spot, Middle-barred Minor and Small Fan-foot (plus the Mayfly Green Drake Ephemera danica).

Hedge Shades Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 27th May

Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana, North Elmham, 27th May

Figure of Eighty, North Elmham, 27th May

Clay Triple-lines, North Elmham, 27th May

Purple Bar, North Elmham, 27th May

Small Square-spot, North Elmham, 27th May

A late Tufted Button Acleris cristana was unexpected - and it looked like it had been out too long!

Tufted Button Acleris cristana, North Elmham, 27th May

Other moths were Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Blood-vein, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, 2 Common Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, 8 Common Pugs, Clouded Border, Brown Silver-line, Peppered Moth, Pale Oak Beauty, 5 Light Emeralds, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, 2 Pale Tussocks, Orange Footman, 5 White Ermines, 2 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Light Brocade, 2 Rustic Shoulder-knots, 3 Brown Rustics, Clouded-bordered Brindle, 5 Treble Lines and 3 Straw Dots.  Also the caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus.

Light Brocade, North Elmham, 27th May

Next day Dave and I headed up to Salthouse Heath to search for Large Red-belted (and Yellow-legged) Clearwings using pheronome lures.  We drew a total blank unfortunately, but saw a few other moths: probable Bridge Roller Ancylis uncella, >200 Grey Gorse Piercers Cydia ulicetana, Small Rivulet and 2 Brown Silver-lines.

At home this Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella was inside the house, new for the year.

Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, North Elmham, 27th May

Also during the day there was a Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima in the garden.  Next post will cover the night's moth trap contents.

Alabonia geoffrella and Dichrorampha sequana

A quick birding visit to the patch on Wednesday 24th May produced a few moths (2 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Common Marble Celypha lacunana and Brown Silver-line) but a bug was the highlight - my first Liocoris tripustulatus.

Liocoris tripustulatus, Bittering, 24th May

On to Ryburgh where I found this Square-spot Drill Dichrorampha sequana - a scarce moth in Norfolk with only about 20 records.

 Square-spoot Drill Dichrorampha sequana, Ryburgh, 24th May

Although striking it wasn't the best-looking moth, but then how could it be when there was a Common Tubic Alabonia geoffrella there.  Another moth where its name seems inappropriate as there is nothing common about it - uncommonly seen (by me at least, only my second ever) and anything but common in appearance.

Common Tubic Alabonia geoffrella, Ryburgh, 24th May

There were also 12 Plain Golds Micropterix calthella, 6 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Green Carpet and Common Pug, as well as a variety of other common insects like this 22-spot Ladybird.

22-spot Ladybird, Ryburgh, 24th May

That evening Dave and I headed up to Gypsy Lane, Brancaster for some more mothing.  A good time was had but I'll save that for my next post.

Among the moths at home that night the following were new for the year at home: Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, Treble-bar, Scorched Wing, Light Brocade and Burnished Brass.

Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham, 24th May

Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 24th May

Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th May

Treble-bar, North Elmham, 24th May

Scorched Wing, North Elmham, 24th May

Light Brocade, North Elmham, 24th May

Burnished Brass, North Elmham, 24th May

A Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella was arguably better than any of those following on from my first here last week.

Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th May

The others were 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Chinese Character, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Green Carpet, 3 Common Pugs, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, Pale Tussock, 2 Orange Footmen, 4 White Ermines, Shears, Hebrew Character, Brown Rustic and 8 Treble Lines.

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, North Elmham, 24th May

I'd parked this beetle earlier as I'd failed to key it out accurately.  Having since had another one elsewhere which I eventually managed to name I went back to this one suspecting it was the same.  Indeed it was, a Black Clock Beetle Pterostichus madidus, and another new one for me.

Black Clock Beetle Pterostichus madidus, North Elmham, 22nd May

A slow week but still several new for the year

Best moth on Tuesday night was a Broken-barred Carpet, my first this year.  Also new for the year at home was a Shears.

Broken-barred Carpet, North Elmham, 24th May

Shears, North Elmham, 24th May

Other moths were Red Twin-spot Carpet, Mottled Pug, Brimstone Moth, Iron Prominent, Pale Prominent, White Ermine, 2 Muslin Moths, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Flame Shoulder, Bright-line Brown-eye and Rustic Shoulder-knot.

Pale Prominent, North Elmham, 24th May

Iron Prominent, North Elmham, 24th May

Rustic Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 24th May

Bright-line Brown-eye, North Elmham, 24th May

The only caddisflies were a Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 2 Limnephilus auricula.

There weren't many moths on Wednesday night but they included 3 more new for the year: Light Brocade, Grey Dagger and Clouded-bordered Brindle.

Light Brocade, North Elmham, 25th May

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

Clouded-bordered Brindle, North Elmham, 25th May

Also Red Twin-spot Carpet, Common Pug, Waved Umber, Poplar Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, 3 Muslin Moths, 2 Cinnabars, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 5 Treble Lines and 2 Spectacles. A Garden Snail was my first at home (but I've only started identifying snails this year).

Thursday night was poor - just Common Pug, Waved Umber, 4 Muslin Moths, White Ermine, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Treble Lines and Angle Shades.  Oh, and a Cockchafer and a Common Wasp.

A lunch break on Friday at Thornham only got me one moth (a Cocksfoot Moth Glyphipterix simpliciella) but also a Green Hairstreak butterfly, the first time I've seen one at Thornham.

Green Hairstreak, Thornham, 27th May

A number of other moth-ers reported another poor night on Friday but although I didn't get a huge number of moths, it wasn't all that bad for me.  Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminitella was new for the house while Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis and Small Angle Shades were all new for the year.

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acumintella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 27th May

Small Angle Shades, North Elmham, 27th May

Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, North Elmham, 27th May

Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, North Elmham, 27th May

By the way, is this plant from Thornham earlier in the week a garden variety of Columbine, or am I missing something in my field guide?

Columbine variety?, Thornham, 23rd May

Buttoned Snout

A good selection of moths last Friday night including 40 species, my best this year I think.  For macro-lovers the Buttoned Snout would undoubtedly be the highlight, though for me it was a micro that came out trumps.  A grey tortrix which I first assumed was a Cnephasia sp. before noticing the solidly dark basal area.  It was in fact a Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, a new moth for me.

Buttoned Snout, North Elmham, 5th June

Hedge Shade Isotrias rectifasciana, North Elmham, 5th June

No Bordered Straws for me, or even Silver Ys, but migrants did appear in the shape of 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella.

Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, North Elmham, 5th June

Other species new for the year included Brown House-moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Light Emerald, Marbled Minor, Middle-barred Minor and Straw Dot.

 Elder Pearl Anania coronata, North Elmham, 5th June

Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, North Elmham, 5th June

Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 5th June

Middle-barred Minor, North Elmham, 5th June

Light Emerald, North Elmham, 5th June

Straw Dot, North Elmham, 5th June

Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, North Elmham, 5th June

Several other moths were interesting for various reasons.  Light Brocade is one I don't see very often and a bit of a looker.

 Light Brocade, North Elmham, 5th June

The others were White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata, 3 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 3 Common Swifts, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, 2 Common Pugs, 3 Brimstone Moths, 2 Buff-tips, 3 Pale Tussocks, Orange Footman, White Ermine, Buff Ermine, 2 Cinnabars, 3 Heart and Darts, 3 Small Square-spots, Light Brocade, Lychnis, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 11 Treble Lines, Nut-tree Tussock and Spectacle.  The count of 11 Treble Lines is my highest - it's a species that I only ever saw singly at Bawdeswell - in fact I didn't see 11 there in total in all the years I lived there.

This female Pale Tussock was good to see - most Pale Tussocks I see are males and compared to those this was very distinctive (and big).

Pale Tussock, North Elmham, 5th June

A very strongly-marked Silver-ground Carpet:

Silver-ground Carpet, North Elmham, 5th June

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham, 5th June