Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Noctuids (Noctuidae) part 2: Daggers, Small Yellow Underwing and Sharks

NOCTUIDS (NOCTUIDAE)


Reed Dagger Simyra albovenosa - None.  I've not recorded this species locally and I'm well away from the strongholds for this species so haven't really been expecting to.  However there have been a couple of records just down the road at Worthing so maybe there's a chance I will find it round here.


Alder Moth Acronicta alni - None.  I seem to be a bit unlucky with this species as I've only ever seen 2, and they weren't local.  It's common enough and is known to occur locally, so surely I'll find one locally some day.


Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens - None.  I've caught 2 here, in 2016 and 2017, but this seems to be very much scarcer than Grey Dagger.  I've gen detted some reasonable candidates for Dark Dagger that have turned out to be Grey.


Grey Dagger Acronicta psi - Having averaged 7 a year here over the previous 4 years it was a disappointment not to catch any in 2019.  2020 was a bit better with 4 between 1st and 12th August; also one at the meadows on 18th July.

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

female Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Sycamore Acronicta aceris - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one at the meadows on 7th July.   None at home, and none anywhere in 2020.  I've only ever caught this species at home 3 times, all in 2015.

Sycamore, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Miller Acronicta leporina - None.  I've caught these at home on 3 occasions (2015, 2016 and 2018).


Light Knot Grass Acronicta menyanthidis - One came straight in to the LED lights as soon as I put them on at Allt Mollach on Mull on 13th June 2019.  This was a lifer for me - the species that has an extremely restricted range within Norfolk (but is much commoner in Scotland).  Scottish specimens like this are of a paler subspecies than the ones that occur here in Norfolk.

Light Knot Grass, Allt Molach (Mull), 13th June 2019

Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis - One in the garden trap on 20th July 2019 and 5 here between 21st July and 13th August 2020.  I've recorded this species here each year since moving in but I'd not had more than 4 in a year before.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and 18th July and 7th August 2020. 

Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2020

Knot Grass, North Elmham, 13th August 2020

Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala - One in the garden trap on 2nd May 2019 was my earliest ever record.  That was the only one I caught at home that year and in 2020 I had 2, on 28th May and 14th June.  I had 16 in 2016 but that was exceptional - I've had 0-2 in every other year.  Elsewhere 4 at the meadows between 17th May and 18th July and one at Bintree Wood.  Although some examples are obvious I don't always find the identification of this species as easy as some recorders seem to - some examples of both Poplar Grey and Sycamore show reasonably prominent pale dorsal spots at the end of the cross-line such that there is overlap with Knot Grass in this character, and other characters seem to be quite variable and/or unclear.  With a few individuals I resort to dissection to satisfy myself the ID is correct, and although they now usually end up being what I thought they were, this wasn't always the case when I started doing this.

Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 2nd May 2019

Poplar Grey, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020

Poplar Grey, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

male Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Coronet Craniophora ligustri - None in 2019 but 4 caught in the garden between 6th and 15th August 2020.  Annual totals vary from 0-5 here.

Coronet, North Elmham, 6th August 2020

Small Yellow Underwing Panemeria tenebrata - A total of 8 at the meadows between 15th and 25th May 2019 (on 4 dates).  This was the second consecutive year they were found here in reasonable numbers (2018 was the first year the site was surveyed) but none were found in 2020.  Most were, as you would expect for a day-flying species, seen during the day but one was found by torchlight roosting on a leaf of the Apple tree.

Small Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019

Small Yellow Underwings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019

Shark Cucullia umbratica - None.  I've not yet found this species locally but it has been recorded in my road before so it's surely only a matter of time.


Chamomile Shark Cucullia chamomillae - None.  This must be one of the most common and widespread moths that I've never seen.  Hopefully I'll catch one someday and there's no reason why it shouldn't be local.


Mullein Cucullia verbasci - One caught in the garden on 23rd April 2020, my fifth here (the others all in 2016-17).  Otherwise only larvae seen, but these were easy to find on the Mullein plants along the railway at the meadows - up to 20 between 21st May and 21st June 2019 and up to 18 between 15th May and 26th June 2020 (when there was also 2-3 on a solitary plant at the chapel).  Covid may have helped this species in 2020 as the railway company usually spray the railway every year, completely destroying the Mullein before it flowers and while many of the caterpillars are still feeding.  Presumably the caterpillars are destroyed along with plants.  There was no spraying in 2020 though the company are apparently wanting to spray much earlier in 2021.

Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019

Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019

Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019

Mullein, North Elmham, 23rd April 2020

Next page: more Noctuidae

A visit from an Emperor

On Tuesday 11th Slender Groundhopper, Orange-tip butterfly and Common Green Shieldbug were all found in the garden during the day, all new for the year here.

Slender Groundhopper, North Elmham, 11th April

Common Green Shieldbug, North Elmham, 11th April

A Red Fox crossed the road in front of me in Hellesdon in the evening but there were very few moths in the trap overnight: Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Muslin Moth and 3 Hebrew Characters.

The Norfolk Moth Survey spring meeting took place on the evening of Wednesday 12th and Matthew Casey found this Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella in the building.  At home there was just Muslin Moth and 5 Hebrew Characters, along with Black Sexton Beetle and the ichneumon wasp Ophion obscuratus.

Garden Cosmet Mompha subbistrigella, Mangreen Hall, 12th April

While eating lunch in the garden on Thursday 13th I saw a small moth flying and hand-caught it - turned out to be a Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii - my first ever!

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicelli (male, gen det), North Elmham, 12th April

I'd bought an Emperor Moth lure at the Norfolk Moth Survey event and tried it out at home.  If I put it in the garden at the recommended height I wasn't going to be around long enough to see if it attracted any moths so instead I placed it by the window of my upstairs study.  I've never seen Emperor here and wasn't sure if they are anywhere close by, and I was placing the lure far too high, so I wasn't really expecting a result.  I glimpsed something flash by a couple of times but wasn't sure what I'd seen then after a bit longer a superb Emperor Moth appeared.  It vanished immediately but it or another soon returned.  I still failed to get a photo but lovely to see and great to get it on the house list.

That evening there were only 4 moths in the moth trap: Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 2 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  The Elachista was new for the year.  Also a Common Earwig and another Ophion obscuratus.

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 13th April

Butterflies seen at Barton Broad on Good Friday included Orange-tips, Brimstones, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshells.  Also my first Dark-edged Bee-fly for the year.  That evening there was just one moth in the trap, a Hebrew Character, plus a Shoulder Stripe on the outside of the trap.  Saturday night was only slightly better with 5 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and my first Angle Shades here this year.

Angle Shades, North Elmham, 15th April

On Easter Sunday night Powdered Quaker was new for the night.  Others were Muslin Moth, Common Quaker and 12 Hebrew Characters.

Powdered Quaker, North Elmham, 16th April

Next day Dave pointed out this Ashy Mining Bee at Bittering and I found a new species of hoverfly in the garden, Melanostoma scalare.

Ashy Mining Bee, Bittering, 17th April

Melanostoma scalare, North Elmham, 17th April

The moth trap that night produced just Muslin Moth, 3 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey and this Silpha atrata.

Silpha atrata, North Elmham, 17th April

There wasn't a single moth in the trap on the night of 18th April - unusual to get a nil return this late into the season. Next day a Large Red Dameslfly was taking advantage of the sunshine in the garden, a Stoat was seen at Ryburgh.  The moth trap only contained three species but one of those was a Mullein, new for the year and only my fourth ever.  Also 9 Hebrew Characters, Early Grey, Common Earwig and Black Sexton Beetle.

Mullein, North Elmham, 19th April

As usual there are lots of Early Purple Orchids growing along the roadside verge at Rawhall Wood.

Early Purple Orchid, Rawhall Wood, 19th April

Dusking in the Brecks

Dave and I planned to do some moth trapping in the Brecks on Monday night but by the time we arrived the cloud cover had already gone and with temperatures dipping it was clear that trapping was going to be a waste of time.  But we had half an hour or so of light left so we wandered around in the hope of finding some good moths.

Dave found this Red Roller Ancylis mitterbacheriana before I'd got out of the car.

Red Roller Ancylis mitterbacherina, Cranwich Heath, 16th May

Two Coleophoras proved to be a new species for me, Wood-rush Case-bearer Coleophora otidipennella.

Wood-rush Case-bearers Coleophora otidipennella (males, gen det), Cranwich Heath, 16th May

Other species included Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, probable Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufocinerea, 8 Swan-feather Dwarfs Elachista argentella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 12 Green Carpets and White-pinion Spotted.

Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Cranwich Heath, 16th May

Swan-feather Dwarf Elachista argentella, Cranwich Heath, 16th May

Hawthorn Slender Parornix aglicella (male, gen det), Cranwich Heath, 16th May

Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Cranwich Heath, 16th May

Green Carpet was also new for the year for home that night but there weren't many other moths: Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Streamer, 3 Common Pugs, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, Chocolate-tip, 6 Muslin Moths, Cinnabar and 2 Hebrew Characters.  A Glyphotaelius pellucidus was the only caddisfly recorded.

The following night produced a crop of new moths for the year (for the garden): Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Great Prominent and Orange Footman. Always good to get a Great Prom in the garden!

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 17th May

Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, North Elmham, 17th May

Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, North Elmham, 17th May

Orange Footman, North Elmham, 17th May

I think the Mullein was arguably better than any of those though - my third ever and second this year.  Surely a good year for these - lots of people I follow on Twitter seem to be seeing them this year.

Mullein, North Elmham, 17th May

I was almost as impressed with this Fly Bug Reduvius personatus sitting on top of my moth trap.  Not sure how scarce these are really as I've seen one before (in Norwich) but there aren't all that many dots on the National Biodiversity Network map.  Apparently they eat other bugs.

Fly Bug Reduvius personatus, North Elmham, 17th May

Caddisflies included one Glyphotaelius pellucidus and at least 10 Limnephilus auricula.  My newly-acquired Mayfly ID guide isn't, so far, proving its worth.  This one's particularly frustrating as a clearer description could have allowed ID I think.  It's a Cloeon sp. for which some features seem to match dipterum better while others (notably the absence of red stripes in the eyes) fit simile better.  The text in the guide refers to the number of cross-veins at the tip of the forewing - easy to count on my specimen and apparently diagnostic with 9-11 in simile and 3-5 in dipterum.  The annoying thing is there are no illustrations to accompany it and no description to explain how much of the wing-tip qualifies as the "tip".  My specimen had 3-5 cross-veins in the very tip and then some more (bringing it up to 9-11) a bit further in but still within the region that might (?) be described as the tip.

 Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum or Lake Olive Cloeon simile, North Elmham, 17th May

So far that's 2 out of 2 Mayflies I haven't been able to identify using the guide - a disappointing start after being extremely impressed with all the other FSC guides I've used so far.  (Incidentally, the veins look dark in my photo but in reality they weren't dark at all).