Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Geometers (Geometridae) - part 4: Carpets III (Pennithera to Dysstroma)

GEOMETERS (GEOMETRIDAE) (continued)


Pine Carpet Pennithera firmata - Singles here on 24th September and 5th October 2019 and 1st August and 27th September 2020, making it 4 consecutive years that I've trapped 2 here (before that one in 2016 and none in 2014/15).  Elsewhere singles at Swanton Great Wood and Row Heath (West Runton) on 27th and 31st August 2019 and one at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020.

Pine Carpet, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 5th October 2019

Spruce Carpet Thera britannica - Singles here on 23rd October and 2nd November 2019, 2 on 27th May and one on 18th October 2020.  That's about average here.  Elsewhere singles at Swanton Great Wood and Row Heath (West Runton) on 27th and 31st August 2019.

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd October 2019

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 27th May 2020

male Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 18th October 2020

Grey Pine Carpet Thera obeliscata - Despite having averaged about 7 a year I didn't catch any of these at home in 2019 and only 3 in 2020 (21st May and 14th and 15th August).  A few elsewhere including one at the meadows on 22nd April 2019, one at Bintree Wood, 6 at Hills and Holes, 6 at Row Heath (West Runton), one in Cornwall and singles at 3 sites on Mull.  One or two of the latter (shown below) were types that I find quite tricky to tell apart from Spruce Carpet - fortunately they were males enabling me to check their diagnostic antennae.

male Grey Pine Carpet, Carsaig (Mull), 13th June

male Grey Pine Carpet, Ceann Chnocain (Mull), 13th June - showing the diagnostic antenna

Grey Pine Carpet, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Juniper Carpet Thera juniperata - None.  This is a rare example of a moth that I caught regularly at my last house in Bawdeswell (25 in the bedroom between 2007 and 2013) but which I haven't caught at all since moving to North Elmham in 2014.


Blue-bordered Carpet Plemyria rubiginata - Singles in the garden on 23rd July 2019 (my latest ever record, though only by a day) and 24th June 2020.  I just about record this here annually with a total of 9 since 2015.

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 24th June 2020

Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata - 6 caught in the garden between 24th June and 5th July 2019 and then just 2 in 2020, on 22nd and 26th June.  About 8 is average.  Elsewhere one at the meadows, one at Weybourne and 4 at Brancaster.

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 27th June 2019

Barred Yellow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Barred Yellow, North Elmham, 22nd June 2020

Broken-barred Carpet Electrophaes corylata - None in 2019, my first blank year since moving here, and just 2 in 2020, on 18th and 20th May.  I had caught 3-4 in the garden in each of the previous 4 years.

Broken-barred Carpet, North Elmham, 18th May 2020

Purple Bar Cosmorrhoe ocellata - 3 caught in my garden between 21st and 30th August 2019 and 6 between 30th July and 22nd August 2020.  Also one next door, 2 at Bintree Wood and one at Sculthorpe Moor (26th April 2019).  A fairly typical showing.


Phoenix Eulithis prunata - One in my garden trap on 26th July 2019 but none in 2020.  I recorded 13 here in 2 years (2016-17) but none in 2018 so this species seems to be quite erratic in its occurrence here.  Elsewhere one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019, my latest ever record.

Phoenix, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

Chevron Eulithis testata - None in 2019; one in the garden on 11th August 2020 was a first for the garden.  The only other relatively local example that I've ever caught was one at my old house in Bawdeswell back in 2010.

Chevron, North Elmham, 11th August 2020

Spinach Eulithis mellinata -None.  This was one of the biggest holes in my moth list until 2018 but it remains a gap in my garden list despite there being a record from the other moth-trapper in my street.


Barred Straw Gandaritis pyraliata - Totals of 61 in the garden between 22nd June and 14th July 2019 and 57 between 13th June and 12th July, including a record count of 9 on 5th July 2019.  Despite the record the overall numbers were average.  Elsewhere 9 at the meadows (5 nights), one at Bintree Wood and one at Hellesdon.

Barred Straw, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Barred Straw, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Barred Straw, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Small Phoenix Ecliptopera silaceata - Totals of 5 trapped at home between 21st July and 7th August 2019 and 3 between 26th May and 11th August 2020.  Although I've recorded up to 8 in a year here, 2 out of 5 years were blank.  Elsewhere one at the meadows on 31st May, one in Hellesdon and a total of 10 on Mull.

Small Phoenix, Carsaig (Mull), 10th June 2019

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 7th August 2019

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 26th May 2020

Small Phoenix, North Elmham, 23rd July 2020

Red-green Carpet Chloroclysta siterata - In the spring flight period one in the garden on 23rd May 2019 and one at the meadows a couple of nights later, then singles at home on 20th and 21st May 2020.  In the autumn singles in the garden on 4th October and 26th November 2019 (my latest ever) and one at the meadows on 4th October, then 3 between 20th September and 20th October 2020 and 2 at the meadows on 8th November.  After 13 here in my first autumn (2014) I thought this species was going to be commoner here but it must have been a good year as I've only had a total of 20 in 6 years since then (with none in 2018).

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May 2019

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham, 20th May 2020

Red-green Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020

Common Marbled Carpet Dysstroma truncata - In 2019, 9 in the garden between 1st and 15th June and then 5 between 7th and 28th September.  In 2020, 11 between 21st May and 24th June and 11 between 8th August and 30th September.  These were my worst showings so far - I was averaging 65 a year previously.  Elsewhere 2 at the meadows, 2 at Swanton Great Wood, 2 at Whitwell Street, 2 on Mull and 26 in Cornwall.

Common Marbled Carpet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 31st May 2019

Common Marbled Carpet, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Dark Marbled Carpet Dysstroma citrataa - None.  I have never seen this species, in fact I'm not convinced it exists in Norfolk...


Next page: more Geometridae

Another new garden moth coming to clearwing lure

On Tuesday 20th June I put the Yellow-legged Clearwing lure out again.  No Clearwings but towards the end of the day I caught a Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana in the lure trap.  This was a nice surprise and a new species for the garden.  Actually it was probably the second as I caught a similar-looking moth in identical circumstances the previous week but that one got away before I could confirm the ID.

Black-edged Marble Endothenia nigricostana, North Elmham, 20th June

There was a slight fall-off in moth variety that night but Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Phoenix and Dot Moth were all new for the year (it seems to be a very poor year for Dot Moth - at the time of writing I've seen just 3 here compared to 26 or 27 in the last couple of years).

Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, North Elmham, 20th June

Phoenix, North Elmham, 20th June

Dot Moth, North Elmham, 20th June

Other moths trapped were Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 4 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 2 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 14 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 4 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 8 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 11 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Buff Arches, Common Emerald, Blood-vein, 4 Small Fan-footed Waves, 5 Dwarf Cream Waves, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 37 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, 4 Barred Straws, Grey Pug, V-Pug, 2 Green Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, Lilac Beauty, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, 2 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, Common White Wave, 4 Rosy Footmen, 2 Dingy Footmen, 7 Common Footmen, White Ermine, 4 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Short-cloaked Moth, 3 Heart and Clubs, 2 Heart and Darts, Ingrailed Clay, Double Square-spot, Smoky Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Dark Arches, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 7 Uncertains, 4 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, Burnished Brass, 8 Beautiful Hook-tips, 5 Straw Dots, 5 Snouts, 2 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Buff Arches, North Elmham, 20th June

Swallow-tailed Moth, North Elmham, 20th June

Other insects included Common Green Caspid Lygocoris pabulinus and a Brown Chafer.

Next day at Ryburgh Banded Demoiselle and Black-tailed Skimmer were among the dragonflies and butterflies included Large and Essex Skippers.  Moths were represented by 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana and a Yellow Shell.  I can't get any further than Phallus sp. with this bug.

Psallus sp., Ryburgh, 21st June

That afternoon I discovered that some caterpillars were making short work of one of our roses.  I figured they were sawflies rather than moth caterpillars and looked up sawflies on roses.  It seems that there is at least one similar species but I think they were Large Rose Sawflies Arge pagana.

Large Rose Sawflies Arge pagana, North Elmham, 21st June

Coleophora therinella

The moths at home on 9th July weren't especially numerous, 160 of 68 species, but they included a few noteworthy ones.  Top among them was a Black-bindweed Case-bearer Coleophora therinella, new for the house and only the 6th record for Norfolk (although my third).

Black-bindweed Case-bearer Coleophora therinella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 9th July

Also new for the house was Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella.  Others new for the garden year list were Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Lesser Cream Wave and Miller.

Miller, North Elmham, 9th July

Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 9th July

Other micros were 7 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 3 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 8 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, 2 Plum Tortrixes Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, 21 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 6 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Fenland Pearl Chrysopa commata, North Elmham, 9th July

Other macros were Buff Arches, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Small Dusty Waves, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, 2 Barred Straws, Sandy Carpet, 2 Green Pugs, 4 Swallow-tailed Moths, 2 Peppered Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 2 Buff-tips, 3 Rosy Footmen, 5 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, 5 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Dot Moth, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, Smoky Wainscot, Poplar Grey, Brown Rustic, 4 Dark Arches, Light Arches, Marbled Minor, 4 Tawny Marbled Minors, 7 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle, 6 Snouts and Small Fan-foot.

Of 2 green lacewings one was a lifer (Chrysopa commata) and the other was new for the house (Chrysopidia ciliata).

Chrysopa commata, North Elmham, 9th July

Chrysopidia ciliata, North Elmham, 9th July

Among the caddis probable Hydropsyche siltalai wasn't noteworthy but Agrypnia pagetana was my first this year and seemingly not well-recorded in VC28.

Agrypnia pagetana, North Elmham, 9th July

Also the bug Stenotus binotatus.

The following night saw another new lacewing, Dichochrysa flavifrons, together with a second Chrysopa commata.

Dichochrysa flavifrons, North Elmham, 10th July

Of 201 moths (79 species) that night the best was Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella, new for the house and possibly new altogether.  I'd caught one once before that keyed out to ibipennella but the keys aren't all that reliable and I messed up the dissection.  Nice to confirm one at last.

Forest Case-bearer Coleophora ibipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th July

Others new for the year here were Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, Nut Bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Phoenix, Brown-tail and Plain Golden Y.

Plain Golden Y, North Elmham, 10th July

Phoneix, North Elmham, 10th July

Brown-tail, North Elmham, 10th July

Buff-tipped Marble Hedya ochroleucana, North Elmham, 10th July

Nut Bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, North Elmham, 10th July

The other micros were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, 2 Speckled Case-bearers Coleophora sternipennella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 4 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 16 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Yellow Satin Veneers Crambus perlella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 5 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 False Cacao Moths Ephestia unicolorella and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Macros included 2 Buff Arches, 2 Common Emeralds, Small Fan-footed Wave, 8 Single-dotted Waves, 11 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, 2 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Brimstone Moth, 3 Early Thorns, 3 Swallow-tailed Moths, 4 Peppered Moths, 2 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, 4 Clouded Silvers, Privet Hawkmoth, 5 Elephant Hawkmoths, Iron Prominent, 2 Rosy Footmen, Orange Footman, 4 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, Heart and Club, 4 Flames, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 8 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, 4 Smoky Wainscots, Poplar Grey, Brown Rustic, Small Angle Shades, 10 Dark Arches, 3 Tawny Marbled Minors, Common Rustic, 5 Uncertains, Rustic, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, 8 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Caddisflies included Glyphotaelius pellucidus, a common species but one that's not meant to fly in July.  Also 2 probable Hydropsyche siltalai, Limnephilus auricula, Limnephilus lunatus and Athripsodes aterrimus.

A hoverfly proved to be my first Parasyrphus punctulatus.

Parasyrphus punctulatus, North Elmham, 10th July