Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Gelechiids (Gelechiidae) (Part 7: Groundlings - subfamily Gelechiinae III)

GELECHIIDS (GELECHIIDAE) (continued)


Subfamily GELECHIINAE (continued)


Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella - Singles in the garden trap on 5 nights between 4th and 25th July 2019.  This species is just about annual here but although I had 6 in 2018 previous year totals had ranged from 1-3.  2020 was back down again with just one on 17th July.

Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Crescent Groundling Teleiodes luculella - One here on 1st June 2019 was only my second record for the garden following one in 2015

Crescent Groundling Teleiodes luculella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

Large Groundling Teleiopsis diffinis - Singles here on 28th August and 5th September 2019 and 31st July 2020.  This was a welcome (and I think overdue?) addition to my garden list.  Also one at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020.

Large Groundling Teleiopsis diffinis, North Elmham, 28th August 2019

Large Groundling Teleiopsis diffinis, North Elmham, 5th September 2019

Large Groundling Teleiopsis diffinis, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Elm Groundling Carpatolechia fugitivella - One in the garden trap on 17th July 2019 was my second record of this species following one here in 2015.  The 2015 record was the first post 19th century record for Norfolk but there have been nearly 20 since.

male Elm Groundling Carpatolechia fugitivella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Suffused Groundling Carpatolechia alburnella - One in my garden moth trap on 29th June 2020.  This was my first here and only my second anywhere.

Suffused Groundling Carpatolechia alburnella, North Elmham, 29th June 2020

Black-speckled Groundling Carpatolechia proximella - None.  I've had just a single record here, in 2015.


Horse-shoe Groundling Altenia scriptella - One in the garden moth trap on 21st May 2020 was a completely new moth for me.

Horse-shoe Groundling Altenia scriptella, North Elmham, 21st May 2020

White-barred Groundling Recurvaria leucatella - Another new moth for me caught in the garden on 6th August 2020.

White-barred Groundling Recurvaria leucatella, North Elmham, 6th August 2020

Pine Groundling Exoteleia dodecella - None.  I've only had one of these here, in 2017.


Black-dotted Groundling Stenolechia gemmella - 2019 was a good year for this species in Norfolk enabling me to see not only my first, but also my second and third, all at different locations.  The first was in my garden trap on 26th August, the second was the following evening at Swanton Great Wood and then there was one at Row Heath (West Runton) later that week on 31st.

Black-dotted Groundling Stenolechia gemmella, North Elmham, 26th August 2019

Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps - One in the garden trap on 26th June 2020.  I had 3 of these here in 2018 but I've not recorded this species in the garden any other year.

Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

Next page: Batrachedridae plus

Regal Piercer

A wander round the Cathedral Meadows on 27th June produced a good variety of interesting insects including five I'd not previously recorded.  The best of these was a new moth, but embarrassingly I stuffed up the ID at the time.  No excuses for that as it's a distinctive species, but one that wasn't really on my radar and, having found this one on a Sycamore I shoe-horned it into the vaguely-similar Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita.  Months later I happened upon a photo of a Regal Piercer Pammene regiana and realised immediately that this was in fact the moth I'd seen (these occur on Sycamore too).

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

There was also an Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana on some Hogweed.

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Other moths were Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, and the continuing larvae of the Small Eggars.  There was a good variety of butterflies including 50 Ringlets.

Ringlet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

 Quite a few dragonflies too, including one of my earliest ever Ruddy Darters.

Ruddy Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Both Common Green and Meadow Grasshoppers were found, and surprisingly both were new species for me.  I've not a huge amount with grasshoppers in the past but enough that I should have recorded these two species before now.

Common Green Grasshopper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Bugs included a creche of 48 Parent Bugs, final instars I think, and up to 8 Orthotylus adenocarpi, a new species for me.  I say up to 8 because I only checked one of them carefully.  They were all found on Broom but there are other very similar species occurring on Broom so it is possible that they were not all the same species.

Parent Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Orthotylus adenocarpi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

This beetle proved to be a Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus.

Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

A hoverfly turned out to be Cheilosia illustrata, another new species for me, and there was also a Hornet.

Cheilosa illustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Hornet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

I really enjoyed the display of Musk Mallow in the wildflower meadow:

Musk Mallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

The Turkscap Lily was still looking good...

Turkscap Lily, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

That night at home the highlight was a Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, only my third ever and the first for my garden. It seemed to me to be a good year for this species because I went on to have another three, including two more in the garden, however by the time of writing there were only two other records in the Norfolk Moth Survey database this year which is less than usual.

Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, North Elmham, 27th June

Lesser Cream Wave and Shaded Broad-bar were new for the year.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 27th June

Shaded Broad-bar, North Elmham, 27th June

Other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 7 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 4 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 9 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, 6 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 3 Brimstone Moths, Lilac Beauty, Willow Beauty, 3 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, 4 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Clubs, Heart and Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 9 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Beautiful Hook-tip, 4 Snouts and Fan-foot, and there was one caddisfly, Hydropsyche pellucidula.