Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Pyralids (Pyralidae) - part 1: Aphomia to Nephopterix (Bee and Wax Moths and Knot-horns I)

PYRALIDS (PYRALIDAE)


Bee Moth Aphomia sociella - One at home on 21st March 2019 was a whole month earlier than I've ever found this species before.  Otherwise a total of 57 between 16th May and 25th July 2019 and 54 between 8th May and 29th July 2020, which are about average totals here.   Elsewhere 9 at the meadows and one at Bintree Wood.

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 21st March 2019

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 8th May 2020

Lesser Wax Moth Achroia grisella - None.  I've not seen this species locally but there are a few records from the mid Wensum valley area so it may turn up here.


Wax Moth Galleria mellonella - None in 2019 but one in the garden on 23rd July 2020 and then one at the meadows on 8th September.  I've had 6 records here since moving in in 2014, but all in even years.

Wax Moth Galleria mellonella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th September 2020

Double-striped Knot-horn Cryptoblabes bistriga - One at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 and one at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020.  I've only ever had one in the garden, in 2015.

male Double-striped Knot-horn Cryptoblabes bistriga, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Brown Knot-horn Matilella fusca - None.  I've not seen this any closer than Marsham Heath.  The species seems to be pretty widespread in the east of the county but there are no records from the west half of central Norfolk.  Yet.


Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella - None, my first full years here without recording this spccies (it had been averaging 2 a year).


Rosy-striped Knot-horn Oncocera semirubella - None.  This distinctive species seems to be increasing and becoming established in Norfolk with widespread records, but it hasn't graced my garden yet and nor have I found it anywhere else.  Hopefully it won't be long before I connect.


Heather Knot-horn Pempelia palumbella - None.  Although I've found this species quite easily at several different heathland sites I get the impression it doesn't tend to wander far from heaths and I've never recorded it anywhere else.


Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa - One in the garden trap on 24th June 2019.  Numbers here have ranged from zero (2017 and again in 2020) to 4 (2018).  Also one at Weybourne on 5th July 2019.

Beautiful Knot-horn Rhodophaea formosa, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella - One in the garden on 22nd July 2019.  I caught this species at home on 3 previous occasions, once in 2015 and twice in 2018.  Elsewhere one at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019.

New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

New Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria sylvestrella, North Elmham, 22nd July 2020

Brown Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria simpliciella - None.  I've recorded this species at home twice (2016 and 2018).


Dark Pine Knot-horn Dioryctria abietella - None.  I've recorded this species at home twice too (2014 and 2017).


Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella - 2019 was my best year for this species at home with at least 20 (not counted on a couple of nights) between 13th July and 7th August.  That total is as many as I'd recorded here between moving in in August 2014 and the end of 2018.  Not a bad year again in 2020 with 10 between 25th June and 15th August.  Elsewhere one next door, 7 at the meadows and one at Bintree Wood.

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019

Dotted Oak Knot-horns Phycita roborella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

Spindle Knot-horn Nephopterix angustella - One trapped at home on 23rd September 2019 was a new moth for the garden and only my third anywhere but it was followed by 2 more in the garden in 2020, on 1st and 16th August.  This species has increased massively in the last few years.

Spindle Knot-horn Nephopterix angustella, North Elmham, 23rd September 2019

Spindle Knot-horn Nephopterix angustella, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

Next page: more Pyralidae

Confusing Ermine

Things started to pick up again on 14th.  One species was probabaly one that I've never seen before - problem is it could be one of 2 species I've never seen before, with a chance of another that I have seen.  Three species of Yponomeutids, Orchard Ermine Yponomeuta padella, Apple Ermine Yponomeuta malinellus, Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella are supposed to be inseparable unless you know their foodplant, which in the case of isolated records of adults is pretty much impossible.  There are typical differences though.  Spindle is largest, on average, and has pure white background colour to the forewing including the cilia, Apple also has white background colour but may have grey cilia while Orchard usually has a greyish suffusion to the forewing and distinctly grey cilia.  Mine had really contrasting grey cilia, so can't have been Spindle, but pure white background colour to the forewings.  Size was good for Apple or Orchard, though within range for any of them.  With such white forewings I thought it unlikely to be Orchard, but I can't find any photos of Apple Ermine that have such distinct grey cilia.  There is a hint of what might be grey suffusion on the wings, but not as much as I would expect on Orchard.  I swayed between thinking Apple (because of the white background colour) and Orchard (because such contrastingly grey cilia seem to be more typical of that species), but it must go down as either or.  Actually I'm not 100% sure it's even that.  In the photos there does seem to be a slight greyish suffusion in a patch within the rear half of the wing.  I thought this was wear at the time but it's the same on both sides.  Could it even be Willow Ermine Yponomeuta rorrella?

Ermine sp. Yponomeuta sp., North Elmham, 14th July

Other highlights included Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, a species I saw at Bawdeswell a couple of times but haven't seen for 4 years.

Large Clothes Moth Morophaga choragella, North Elmham, 14th July

Also new for the year here were Common Groundling Teleiodes vulgella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, White Satin, 2 Scarce Footmen, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing and Marbled Beauty.

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, North Elmham, 14th July

Scarce Footman, North Elmham, 14th July

Marbled Beauty, North Elmham, 14th July

Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, North Elmham, 14th July

Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, North Elmham, 14th July

Other micros were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, Grey Rush Case-bearer Coleophora glaucicolella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 2 Variegated Golden Tortrixes Archips xylosteana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 3 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, 4 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 8 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla.

Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, North Elmham, 14th July

Other macros were Ghost Moth, 2 Buff Arches, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 7 Riband Waves, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Common White Wave, 4 Clouded Silvers, 2 Elephant Hawkmoths, 3 Rosy Footmen, 11 Common Footmen, 5 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, Heart and Dart, Flame, 5 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 3 Smoky Wainscots, Grey Dagger, 3 Dark Arches, Marbled Minor, Rufous Minor, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, 3 Common Rustics, 15 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Spectacle, Straw Dot, 2 Snouts, 3 Fan-foots and Small Fan-foot.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 14th July

Riband Wave (left) and Small Emerals (right), North Elmham, 14th July

Rufous Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 14th July

Some interesting bits and pieces among the other insects in the trap, including the Mayfly Baetis scambus, a new one for me.  The Hoverfly Baccha elongata was new for the house.  Caddisflies included Polycentropus flavomaculatus, 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus lunatus.

Baetis scambus, North Elmham, 14th July

Baccha elongata, North Elmham, 14th July