Review of 2019 - Lyonetiid Leaf-miners (Lyonetiidae), Ash-bud Moths (Praydidae) and Obscures (Autostichidae)

LYONETIA and LEUCOPTERA BENT-WINGS (LYONETIIDAE)


Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella -12 in the garden between 15th June and 16th August 2019 making it my best year to date.  Also my first ever autumn generation example on 24th October, which was also my first of the dark melanic type.  Judging from photos published on the web it seems that dark types are normal for the second generation and rare in the first main generation.  On this one the vertex was white - on some examples even this is brown.  2020 was even better with 18 between 12th June and 16th August.  Also one netted at the meadows in 2020 and quite a few leaf-mines there in both years on Wild Cherry and also some on Blackthorn and possibly also on Hawthorn.

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham, 15th June 2019

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham, 24th October 2019

Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 3rd August 2020

leaf-mine of Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 10th July 2020

Striped Bent-wing Lyonetia prunifoliella - I found one on a Blackthorn leaf in a hedgerow at the Cathedral Meadows on 30th August 2019.  This was a new moth for me, and only the second Norfolk record and the first for the vice-county VC28.  This species became extinct in the UK in the 19th century and wasn't recorded for over 100 years, but very recently has re-colonised the south of the country.  It appears to be spreading northwards and mine was the first of 3 records in the county in 2019.  I imagine that within a few years it will be a common moth here, but time will tell.

Striped Bent-wing Lyonetia prunifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2019

Laburnum Leaf-miner Leucoptera laburnella - None.  This is a fairly common species that I saw at Bawdeswell but haven't yet found in North Elmham.


Boom Bent-wing Leucoptera spartifoliella - My first ever adult of this species was swept from Broom at the meadows on 13th July 2019.  A possible mine in the same Broom in 2020 but I wasn't certain about the ID.

female Broom Bent-wing Leucoptera spartifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th July 2019

Pear-leaf Blister Moth Leucoptera malifoliella - Leafmines found at the meadows on 30th August and 11th September 2019 but it wasn't until 2020 that I saw my first ever adult, one netted at the meadows on 26th June.

leaf-mine of Pear-leaf Blister Moth Leucoptera malifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th August 2019

Pear-leaf Blister Moth Leucoptera malifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th June 2020

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ASH-BUD MOTHS (PRAYDIDAE)


Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella - One in the garden trap on 23rd July 2019, my 4th here (all since 2017).  None in 2020.

Ash-bud Moth Prays fraxinella, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps - One in the garden trap on 26th July 2019 and singles on 5 nights between 16th July and 15th September 2020.  Prior to the 5 in 2020 I'd had 1-2 here in each of the full years I'd lived here.

Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

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BINDWEED BENT-WING (BEDELLIIDAE)


Bindweed Bent-wing Bedellia somnulentella - None.  I've only had one of these here, in 2017.

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HAWTHORN MOTH (SCYTHROPIIDAE)


Hawthorn Moth Scythropia crataegella - None.  I'm yet to record this species locally - I didn't even manage it at Bawdeswell where my house was almost enveloped by an enormous Hawthorn hedge that hadn't been cut for years.  None at the meadows either, where the hedges are full of Hawthorn and Blackthorn.  Presumably this species' requirements involve more than just its foodplants.

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OBSCURES (AUTOSTICHIDAE)


Four-spotted Obsucre Oegoconia quadripuncta - Totals of 12 between 16th July and 6th August 2019 and 20 between 25th June and 11th August 2020.  The 20 in 2020 was my best year so far and they peaked with 6 on 1st August.  Although the breadth of the pale bands is a good indicator, this species and the next are not supposed to be possible to definitively identify without checking their genitalia.  I suspect that in reality it might be possible to reliably assign some individuals to species without dissection but there is certainly overlap and some I've dissected have turned out not to be the species I had suspected.  Out of the 32, 30 were males.  Worth bearing in mind that Oegoconia caradjai may occur in Norfolk although there haven't been any records yet - some individuals could very easily be overlooked among quadripuncta.

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 16th July 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 29th July 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 2nd August 2019

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 29th July 2020

male Four-spotted Obscure Prays Oegoconia quadripuncta, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

Scarce Obsucre Oegoconia deauratella - Single males on 10th and 17th July 2019 plus a probable on 29th July which escaped before I could check it.  This species is annual here, averaging 2-3 per year but 2020 was my best year so far with 6 between 18th June and 30th July.  All were males.

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 10th July 2019

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

male Scarce Obscure Prays Oegoconia deauratella, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Next page: Oecophoridae plus

More moths and a new bug

Another Yellow-legged Clearwing came to pheromone lure on 7th July before the night's trapping produced 94 species of moth and a variety of other things.

New moths for the year were Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, Large Grey Scoparia subfusca (only the second time I've caught one here), Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, Small Scallop, Brown-tail, Lesser Yellow Underwing and Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing.

Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, North Elmham, 7th July

Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, North Elmham, 7th July

Small Scallop, North Elmham, 7th July

Brown-tail, North Elmham, 7th July

Lesser Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 7th July

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 7th July

The other moths were 2 Pale-backed Clothes Moths Monopis crocicapitella, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 3 Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Common Yellow Conches Agapeta hamana, 3 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 5 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 5 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 26 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 4 Satin Grass-veneers Crambus perlella, Straw Grass-veneer Agriphila straminella, 15 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 4 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 4 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 9 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, 2 Beautiful Plumes Amblyptilia acanthadactyla, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Ghost Moth, Buff Arches, 7 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 6 Single-dotted Waves, 19 Riband Waves, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, Brown Scallop, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 4 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 3 Early Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, 4 Elephant Hawk-moths, Buff-tip, 3 Rosy Footmen, 5 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 58 Common Footmen, 15 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Short-cloaked Moth, 2 Heart and Clubs, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, 5 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Marbled Beauty, Brown Rustic, Common Rustic, 42 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, Burnished Brass, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot and 4 Fan-foots.

Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 7th July

Mayflies consisted of Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum and Green Drake Ephemera danica, both new for the year, and also 2 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.  Caddisflies consisted of Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa and Limnephilus flavicornis.

Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, North Elmham, 7th July

Green Drake Ephemera danica, North Elmham, 7th July

The only heteropteran bug was a lifer, Megalocoleus molliculus.

Megalocoleus molliculus, North Elmham, 7th July

The leafhopper Alebra coryli was new for the year, as was the hoverfly Marmalade Fly Episyrphus balteatus.

Alebra coryli, North Elmham, 7th July

Beetles identified were 2 Strawberry Seed Beetles Harpalus rufipes, Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva and Lagria hirta.

Thyme Plume

Edit: oops - now re-titled this post as the star of the show was clearly a Thyme Plume not a Thyme Pug!  Now that would be good!

26th July produced 384 moths of 119 species - reasonable if unremarkable but a night more of quality than quantity.  The highlight was a new species for me and one that has only been recorded in Norfolk five times in the last 20+ years: Thyme Plume Merrifieldia leucidactyla.  A really lovely-looking Plume, in my opinion, though not straightforward to identify as the even rarer Western Thyme Plume (tridactyla) looks very similar externally.

Thyme Plume Merrifieldia leucodactyla (female, gen det), North Elmham, 26th July

A Bog Dwarf Elachista utonella was a surprise addition to the garden list - a rare species of wet bogs and acid heaths.  Not sure where my nearest wet bog or acid heath is, but most Norfolk records are from the Broads or the acid heaths of west Norfolk, so one smack bang in the middle and over 20 km away from the nearest previous record was notable.

Bog Dwarf Elachista utonella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th July

Also new for the house were Large Grey Scoparia subfusca and Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta.

Large Grey Scoparia subfusca, North Elmham, 26th July

Thistle Ermine Myelois circumvoluta, North Elmham, 26th July

Three other micros were new for the year: Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana and Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima.

None of the macros recorded were new for the year, but one I narrowly missed recording might have been.  A large white moth was seen in flight in the first glimmers of dawn, landing briefly but almost entirely obscured in the hedge before flying on through the hedge and away.  Pretty sure, but not 100% sure, it was a Puss Moth.

It was a day of things escaping!  A Coleophora (probably lineolea) escaped without me determining it, a Cnephasia escaped - I'm putting that one down as stephensiana because it was so big, but I prefer to dissect them to confirm.  A Pug, probably Slender Pug, escaped before I could resolve it and a Dagger (large and pale so likely Grey) also made a dash for it.  Macros I did record were Leopard Moth, Pebble Hook-tip, 4 Chinese Characters, 2 Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Blood-vein, 14 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 12 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Dark Umber, Green Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Early Thorns, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Peppered Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Clouded Silvers, 2 Light Emeralds, Poplar Hawkmoth, 3 Pebble Prominents, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, 4 Yellow-tails, 6 Rosy Footmen, 17 Dingy Footmen, 11 Scarce Footmen, 2 Buff Footmen, 54 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, 4 Ruby Tigers, Cinnabar, Heart and Dart, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Lesser Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 3 Double Square-spots, Nutmeg, Dot Moth, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 2 Brown-line Bright-eyes, 2 Clays, 10 Smoky Wainscots, Coronet, Dun-bar, 5 Dark Arches, Light Arches, Rufous Minor, Cloaked Minor, 2 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, 2 Dusky Sallows, 31 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, Spectacle and Snout.

Purple Thorn, North Elmham, 26th July

A good selection of other micros too: Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 20 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 8 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Small Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Dark Groundlings Bryotropha affinis, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 2 Bulrush Cosmets Limnaecia phragmitella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, 4 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 14 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Brown China-mark Elophila nymphaeata, 4 Beautiful China-marks Nymphula nitidulata, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, 6 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 2 Dusky Pearls Udea prunalis, 12 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella and 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella.

Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th July

Other stuff in the trap included both 7-spot and Harlequin Ladybirds and this thing which I hoped would turn out to be a Bee I could key out with the new Bees book.  Sadly it appears to be a wasp, not a bee, and although it looks pretty distinctive there are in fact about a zillion different species of wasp that all look pretty much like it and I don't have any references that allow be to get close to resolving its ID.

unidentified wasp, North Elmham, 26th July

My first Yponomeuta plumbella

Nothing to shout about on the night of 18th August but 19th was better with my first ever Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella.

Black-tipped Ermine Yponomeuta plumbella, North Elmham, 19th August

Two micros requiring gen detting were new for the house despite both being common at my last house in Bawdeswell: Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella and Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th August

Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th August

The other micros recorded were 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Hedge Case-bearer Coleophora striatipennella, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 22 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

The macros were 2 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, Maiden's Blush, Single-dotted Wave, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Common Carpets, Green Carpet, Tawny Speckled Pug, Treble-bar, 2 Magpie Moths, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Dusky Thorn, Peppered Moth, 4 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawkmoth, Pebble Prominent, 3 Lesser Swallow Prominents, Black Arches, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Flame Shoulders, 9 Large Yellow Underwings, 14 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 3 Small Square-spots, 9 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Square-spotted Clays, 4 Six-striped Rustics, 3 Square-spot Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, Nutmeg, Lychnis, 4 Common Wainscots, 2 Old Ladies, Straw Underwing, Dark Arches, 9 Flounced Rustics, Rustic, Burnished Brass, Spectacle and 3 Straw Dots.

Orange Swift, North Elmham, 19th August

The full list for 18th was Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 2 Garden Rose Tortrices Acleris variegana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 24 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 10 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Orange Swift, Oak Hook-tip, Pebble Hook-tip, Blood-vein, Single-dotted Wave, Riband Wave, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Magpie Moth, 2 Brimstone Moths, Peppered Moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Rosy Footman, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 9 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Square-spotted Clay, 5 Six-striped Rustics, 2 Square-spot Rustics, Cloaked Minor, 13 Flounced Rustics, Ear Moth, Vine's Rustic and Straw Dot.