Gypsy Lane, Brancaster

Dave and I headed up to Gypsy Lane, Brancaster for some moths on the night of 16th July.  We didn't manage to find any new moths for me, although may have come close as we were buzzed by something that may well have been a Lappet.  Frustratingly it didn't stop.  Still a good evening with several noteworthy species seen.  Among the highlights were 2 Saltmarsh Case-bearers Coleophora atriplicis, White-strap Sober Syncopacma larseniella (a species I'd seen for the first time only a week earlier), Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, 2 Hemlock Yellow Conches Aethes beatricella, Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana, 3 Acorn Piercers Pammene fasciana, Small Elephant Hawkmoth, Striped Wainscot, 2 Southern Wainscots, Lyme Grass, Fen Wainscot, 2 Cream-bordered Green Peas and Dotted Fan-foot.

Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana, Brancaster, 16th July

 Lyme Grass, Brancaster, 16th July

White-strap Sober Syncopacma larseniella, Brancaster, 16th July

Saltmarsh Case-bearer Coleophora atriplicis, Brancaster, 16th July

Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, Brancaster, 16th July

Hemlock Yellow Conch Aethes beatricella, Brancaster, 16th July

Brown Elm Bell Epinotia abbreviana, Brancaster, 16th July

This Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana was living up to its vernacular name more than usual - it lacked the pale shoulders that are normally a determining feature of this species.

 Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana (female, gen det), Brancaster, 16th July

Other micros were Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 6 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 4 Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 4 Bulrush Cosmets Limnaecia phragmitella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, 3 Water-mint Conches Phalonidia manniana, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, White-triangle Button Acleris holmiana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Pine Marbles Piniphila bifasciana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, White-backed Marble Hedya salicella, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, 4 Cock's-head Bells Zeiraphera isertana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 White-foot Bells Epiblema foenella, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Pale-bordered Piercer Grapholita janthinana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 3 Wainscot Veneers Chilo phragmitella, 20 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, 2 Base-lined Greys Scoparia basistrigalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis and 2 Dotted Oak Knot-horns Phycita roborella.

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (female, gen det), Brancaster, 16th July

Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Brancaster, 16th July

Pale-bordered Piercer Grapholita janthinana, Brancaster, 16th July

Water-mint Conch Phalonidia manniana (female, gen det), Brancaster, 16th July

Cock's-head Bells Zeiraphera isertana, Brancaster, 16th July

Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella (female, gen det), Brancaster, 16th July

Other macros were Ghost Moth, 5 Drinkers, 5 Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Single-dotted Wave, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, 2 Barred Straws, Barred Yellow, V-Pug, Green Pug, Small Yellow Wave, Clouded Border, Latticed Heath, Brimstone Moth, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 6 Swallow-tailed Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, 2 Mottled Beauties, Light Emerald, Privet Hawkmoth, 2 Poplar Hawkmoths, Elephant Hawkmoth, 40 Brown-tails, 2 Yellow-tails, White Satin, 2 Round-winged Muslins, 2 Rosy Footmen, Dingy Footman, 3 Scarce Footmen, Common Footman, Ruby Tiger, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Poplar Greys, Small Angle Shades, Dun-bar, Dark Arches, Light Arches, Marbled Minor, 2 Rufous Minors, Tawny Marbled Minor, Uncertain, Plain Golden Y, Beautiful Hook-tip and Fan-foot.

Drinker (female), Brancaster, 16th July

Rufous Minors (females, gen det), Brancaster, 16th July

Tawny Marbled Minor (male, gen det), Brancaster, 16th July

With no lifers among the moths perhaps the best observation was a hoverfly - my first Volucella inflata (although I've spent a lot less effort recording hoverflies than moths so it's much easier to find lifers among them).  This is a southern species that only extends up as far as Lincolnshire.

Volucella inflata, Brancaster, 16th July

Other non-Lepidopteran interest included a 10-spot Ladybird and both Cockchafer and Summer Chafer (and a Hobby).

10-spot Ladybird, Brancaster, 16th July

Brancaster with Norfolk Moth Survey

18th July was the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Brancaster, doubling up as part of the National Trust's bioblitz weekend.  It was a cool clear night so hopes weren't especially high, but there were plenty of us there to give it a good try.  It certainly turned out to be a worthwhile evening.

Garden Tiger, Brancaster, 18th July

Arguably the best moth, if not the most attractive, was the last moth I saw.  Found in Rob's trap as he was packing it up, it was a small greyish Gelechiid that none of us who were left recognised.  I took it home and was still unable to identify it when I looked through the Gelechiid photos on the Norfolk Moths website.  Turned out that was because there weren't any photos of this species which I eventually identified (and confirmed by gen detting) as Saltern Neb Monochroa tetragonella, a Red Data Book species with only one other county record in the last 35 years.

Saltern Neb Monochroa tetragonella, Brancaster, 18th July

Another 5 species were completely new to me: Roseate Marble Celypha rosaceana, Saltmarsh Grass-veneer Pediasia aridella, 2 Crescent Stripeds, Lyme Grass and 4 Saltern Ears.

Crescent Striped, Brancaster, 18th July

Lyme Grass, Brancaster, 18th July

Saltern Ears (female above, male below, both gen det), Brancaster, 18th July

Roseate Marble Celypha rosaceana, Brancaster, 18th July

Saltmarsh Grass-veneer Pediasia aridella, Brancaster, 18th July

Other good macros included Rosy Wave, White-line Dart, 2 Archer's Darts, Sand Dart, Dog's Tooth and Rosy Minor, all of which were either my second or third records.

Rosy Minor, Brancaster, 18th July

White-line Dart, Brancaster, 18th July

Other macros included Willow Beauty, Pine Hawkmoth, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, 4 Brown-tails, 6 White Satins, Common Footman, 3 Garden Tigers, 2 Ruby Tigers, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 3 Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 6 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Campion, 2 Clays, Striped Wainscot, 9 Smoky Wainscots, Sycamore, 6 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, Common Rustic, Silver Y and Dotted Fan-foot. 

Pine Hawkmoth, Brancaster, 18th July

Ruby Tiger, Brancaster, 18th July

Common Rustic (male, gen det), Brancaster, 18th July

Among the micros other highlights were 2 Silver-streaked Case-bearers Coleophora limoniella, Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, Saltmarsh Bell Eucosma tripoliana, 3 Pale-streak Grass-veneers Agriphila selasella, Sandhill Knot-horn Anerastia lotella and 4 Saltmarsh Plumes Agdistis bennetii.

Silver-streaked Case-bearer Coleophora limoniella, Brancaster, 18th July

Saltmarsh Bell Eucosma tripoliana, Brancaster, 18th July

Saltmarsh Plume Agdistis bennetii, Brancaster, 18th July

A couple of Bactra were retained that looked interesting.  The commoner Bactra lancealana is variable but neither of these two matched the most typical form.  The scarcer Bactra species have forms that do match these individuals so we hoped they'd prove to be either of the scarcer species.  In fact the one I retained turned out to be Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, and so did the one dissected by one of the other attendees.

Rush Marble Bactra lancealana (female, gen det), Brancaster, 18th July

Other micros were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 5 Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella, 3 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 30 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella and Twin-barred Knot-horn Homoeosoma sinuella.

Saltern Groundlings Scrobipalpa instabilella (males, gen det), Brancaster, 18th July

Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana (male, gen det), Brancaster, 18th July