Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Geometers (Geometridae) - part 2: Mochas and Carpets I (Cyclophora to Camptogramma)

GEOMETERS (GEOMETRIDAE)


Birch Mocha Cyclophora albipunctata - None.  I've only recorded this species here once, in 2018.


Maiden's Blush Cyclophora punctaria - 9 recorded here between 22nd April (my earliest ever) and 8th August 2019 - an average total.  Only 4 in 2020, between 17th May and 12th August.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and my highest count ever, 4 at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 22nd April 2019

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Clay Triple-lines Cyclophora linearia - None at home - I've had 3 here since moving in in August 2014.  Elsewhere one Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 and one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019.  None in 2020.

Clay Triple-lines, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Vestal Rhodometra sacraria - None.  I've only ever caught one of these fantastic migrant moths here, or indeed anywhere in Norfolk - in the good Vestal year of 2017.


Oblique Striped Phibalapteryx virgata - None.  In Norfolk this species is mainly known from the Brecks but there are a scattering of records through central Norfolk so it may turn up here someday.


July Belle Scotopteryx luridata - None.  The two we had at the Norfolk Moth Survey event at Hockering Wood in 2012 appear to be the nearest anyone has found this species so perhaps my chances of finding one locally aren't all that high.


Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata - Totals of 13 at home between 18th and 30th July 2019 and 14 between 2nd July and 14th August 2020 - I average considerably more a year (22).  Elsewhere 6 at the meadows and recorded at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and Foxley Wood on 17th August 2019.

Shaded Broad-bar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Oblique Carpet Orthonama vittata - None.  In Norfolk this species is mainly known from the Broads but I've recorded it twice here, in 2016 and 2018.


Gem Nycterosea obstipata - None.  I never do well for migrants here but even so, this species is becoming a bit of a bogey-moth for me, having not yet found one anywhere.


Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata - Totals of 24 here between 24th April and 6th September 2019 and 17 between 27th April and 9th November 2020 - I average 25 a year and 2020 was my worst year here so far (but the record on 9th November was my latest ever in Norfolk by 24 days).  Elsewhere 3 at the meadows and one at Whitwell Street.

Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 24th April 2019

Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 16th May 2019

Balsam Carpet Xanthorhoe biriviata - None.  Although there are a handful of records of this mainly Broadland species in or around the Wensum Valley, I'd have to be quite lucky to get one round here.


Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia - At least 21 here between 2nd May and 8th August 2019.  I didn't count them on 5 nights but I only had singles on the nights around this period where I did count, so the true total probably wasn't much higher than 21.  In any event it was by far my worst year ever for this species which had been averaging at 64 a year over the previous 4 years.  2020 was better but still worse than the previous years, with 41 between 18th May and 14th August.  Elsewhere 1-2 at the meadows on 7 nights, one at Bintree Wood, one at Sculthorpe Moor and 2 at Hills and Holes.  To ensure that I am identifying these and Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets correctly I usually select a small number to dissect, particularly from among those showing at least one character associated with the other species, such as a darker-than-normal bar.  Excepting very worn individuals my provisional ID almost invariably turns out to be correct so I don't think this is as challenging a duo as some sources have suggested in the past.

Red Twin-spot Carpets, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019 (the top one a confirmed male)

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata - At least 35 here between 25th April and 3rd September 2019.  I didn't count them on 2 nights but I only had 1-2 on the nights around these dates, so the true total won't have been much higher than 35.  This was a fairly typical showing for this species, but it was the first time that numbers of this species exceeded the number of Red Twin-spot Carpets.  Only 14 in 2020, between 8th May and 16th August.  Elsewhere a couple next door, singles at the meadows on 7 nights and 3 at Sculthorpe Moor.  Given that fairly recently this species was thought to be heavily over-recorded and a lot rarer than the number of records suggested (due to confusion with dark-barred examples of Red Twin-spot Carpet) I confirmed nearly all of my records for a number of years.  With a negligible error rate I've stopped doing this now, but still check a small selection to make sure (including all of those shown below).  It's probably not a coincidence that the reddest-barred individuals I've caught and confirmed have been worn specimens.

male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 26th April 2019

male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May 2019

female Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 16th May 2019

male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 3rd September 2019

male Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata - 2019 was my worst year yet with just 2 recorded in my garden, on 25th and 30th May.  Previous annual totals have ranged from 5 to 14 and there were 6 in 2020, between 31st July and 17th September.  Elsewhere one at Sculthorpe Moor and 2 on Mull.

Flame Carpet, Sculthorpe Moor, 26th April 2019

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 25th May 2019

Flame Carpet, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Silver-ground Carpet Xanthorhoe montanata - Totals of 49 caught at home between 19th May and 23rd June 2019 and 41 between 17th May and 15th June 2020.  These were my lowest total so far, though not be a long way - I've averaged 60 a year here.  Elsewhere 13 at the meadows, 2 at Hills and Holes, one at Keswick and 7 at various sites on Mull.

Silver-ground Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May 2019

Silver-ground Carpets, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Large Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe quadrifasiata - My worst years for this species too, with 7 at home between 25th June and 24th July 2019 and just 2 in 2020, on 15th July and 2nd August.  I had been averaging around 20 a year.  Elsewhere one at the meadows, singles at Bintree Wood, Hellesdon and Weybourne.

Large Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 25th June 2019

Large Twin-spot Carpet, Weybourne, 5th July 2019

Rotal Mantle Catarhoe cuculata - None.  This species is mainly recorded in Norfolk in the Brecks and NW Norfolk but there are a couple of records from the Wensum Valley so maybe I'll get one locally one day.


Ruddy Carpet Catarhoe rubidata - None.  I've never seen this species but there have been a handful of recent records not all that far away from here so I'm optimistic.


Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata - 13 recorded at home between 29th June and 25th August 2019 and 9 between 12th June and 17th August 2020.  I average 13-14 here.  A total of 36 seen at the meadows, often during the day, plus 2 at the allotment and singles at Bintree Wood, Swanton Great Wood, Whitwell Street and on Mull.

Yellow Shell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th May 2019

Yellow Shell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

Yellow Shell, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

Next page: more Geometridae

A distinctive new beetle, Anthocomus fasciatus

The night of Wednesday 9th May wasn't anywhere near as good as the previous night but there were a few nice things.  New moths for the year included Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, 2 Currant Pugs and Pale Prominent.

Common Mompha Mompha epilobiella, North Elmham, 9th May

Currant Pug, North Elmham, 9th May

Pale Prominent, North Elmham, 9th May

Other moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, Chinese Character, 2 Common Pugs, Brindled Pug, Double-striped Pug, Purple Thorn, Waved Umber, Lesser Swallow Prominent, 3 Chocolate-tips, 3 Muslin Moths, Cinnabar, Clouded Drab, 2 Hebrew Characters and 2 Nut-tree Tussocks.

A few other nice bits and pieces in the trap including the caddisfly Rhyacophila dorsalis (not so common here - only 3 last year), Black Sexton Beetle, a very striking red-and-black Anthocomus fasciatus (a completely new species of beetle for me), the bug Harpocera thoracica (new for the year), the hoverfly Melanostoma scalare and the ant Lasius niger.

Rhyacophila dorsalis, North Elmham, 9th May

Anthocomus fasciatus, North Elmham, 9th May

Harpocera thoracica, North Elmham, 9th May

Next day I dropped something off at the allotments and found this Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet (male, gen det), North Elmham allotments, 10th May

Not many moths in the trap that night: just Coxcomb Prominent, 3 Muslin Moths, Hebrew Character and Nut-tree Tussock.

Next day a Holly Blue was in the garden, and that night a Black Clock Beetle Pterostichus madidus on the ground by the moth trap.

Another Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet that night was new for the garden year list, as was a lovely Maiden's Blush.  Other moths were Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 3 Common Pugs, Brindled Pug, Brimstone Moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts and 2 Hebrew Characters.

Maiden's Blush, North Elmham, 11th May

There were 3 species of caddisfly: Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus auricula and, new for the year, Micropterna lateralis. Other than that just Black Sexton Beetle and the hoverfly Platycheirus albimanus.

Micropterna lateralis (male), North Elmham, 11th May

Bluebell Conch, a new hoverfly and some beetles

I forgot to add this photo of a Muslin Moth to my last post - I don't recall seeing the pale patches on this species before though it seems that they do vary a bit in this respect.

Muslin Moth, North Elmham, 10th May

On 11th May I discovered Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella on Garlic Mustard at Ryburgh, only the second site I've seen this species.  Also Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana.

Meadow Long-horn Cauchas rufimitrella, Ryburgh, 11th May

I then headed up to Thursford Wood where I hoped to find two scarce Norfolk species - Hysterophora maculosana on the Bluebells and, a bit more ambitiously as there are no modern records in Norfolk, Coleophora lutarea on the Greater Stitchwort.  The bluebells were beautiful but I couldn't find either species among them.

Bluebells, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I did find a few moths including 5 Large Long-horns Nematopogon swammerdamella, Green Long-horn Adela reaumurella, Oak Satin Lift Heliozela sericiella and 2 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella.  But it wasn't until I'd left the main bluebell area and was walking through a relatively bare patch of woodland that I spotted one of my targets, Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana in flight, and duly netted it to confirm. Looks like this may only be the third vice-county record following two last year (the first of which I found at Bittering).

Bluebell Conch Hysterophora maculosana, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I also saw a Maiden's Blush near the rhododendrons which were looking splendid.

Maiden's Blush, Thursford Wood, 11th May

Rhododendron, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I also found this bug which I eventually resolved as Anthocoris nemorum, a species I'd not identified previously.

Anthocoris nemorum, Thursford Wood, 11th May

I saw one Large Red Damselfly here and 10 more at Brancaster where I headed next (along with 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana) and another at Titchwell Chalkpit.

As yet I haven't been able to put a name to this spider at home:

unidentified Spider, North Elmham, 11th May

That night was better than of late with 19 moths of 14 species, though still pretty rubbish for this time of year.  New for the year here were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Small Magpie Anania hortulata and 2 Common Pugs. The others were 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Brindled Flat-bodies Agonopterix arenella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Carpet, Green Carpet, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Cinnabar, Flame Shoulder and Hebrew Character.  There was also the caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella (males, gen det), North Elmham, 11th May

Small Magpie Anania hortulata, North Elmham, 11th May

Common Pug, North Elmham, 11th May

Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, North Elmham, 11th May

Next day I headed up to Burnham Overy where Stoat and Natterjack were among the non-avian highlights.  Moths consisted of Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Yellow Belle and 2 Cinnabars - and quite a few Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella larvae.

Yellow Belle, Burnham Overy, 12th May

I stopped off at Ryburgh on the way home and found 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and a Sulphur Tubic Esperia sulphurella.  There was also a Common Carder Bee and the hoverfly Platycheirus manicatus, a new one for me.

Platycheirus manicatus, Ryburgh, 12th May

I retained 3 beetles for identifying at home.  Perhaps I should have been able to manage the Cantharis decipiens in the field (where I think it was one of a number on Hawthorn flowers) but I certainly wouldn't have been able to do the other two without careful keying out under the microscope - unsurprisingly (as I haven't been doing this for long) both were new to me: the ground beetle Amara anthobia and the leaf beetle Phaedon armoraciae.

Cantharis decipiens, Ryburgh, 12th May

Amara anthobia, Ryburgh, 12th May

Phaedon armoraciae, Ryburgh, 12th May