Review of 2019 and 2020 - Bugs: Plant bugs - part 3: Mirini II (Pantilius to Stenotus)

PLANT BUGS (MIRIDAE) (continued)


Tribe MIRINI (continued)


Pantilius tunicatus - One of these most marvellous of mirids in my moth trap on 4th October 2019, the fourth consecutive year I have caught one or two here.  So distinctive I didn't feel I needed to retain and photograph it, something I slightly regret now I'm writing about it, especially as I didn't catch one in 2020.


Phytocoris dimidiatus - One in my garden moth trap on 30th September 2020, my second here following one in 2018.

Phytocoris dimidiatus, North Elmham, 30th September 2020 - showing left clasper

Phytocoris longipennis - Singles in my garden moth trap on 27th July 2019 and 8th and 12th August 2020.  I've recorded 1-2 here in each of the last 4 years now.

Phytocoris longipennis, North Elmham, 27th July 2019

Phytocoris longipennis, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

Phytocoris longipennis, North Elmham, 12th August 2020

Phytocoris tiliae - After a blank year in 2019 I caught 2 in the garden in 2020, on 19th August and 22nd September.  Also one landed on my hand at Brancaster on 18th September 2020.

Phytocoris tiliae, North Elmham, 19th August 2020

Phytocoris ulmi - 2 in my garden moth trap on 19th July 2019 and one on 15th July 2020.

Phytocoris ulmi, North Elmham, 19th July 2019

Phytocoris ulmi, North Elmham, 15th July 2020

Phytocoris varipes - Singles in my garden moth trap on 4 nights between 31st July and 21st August 2019.  Having only ever had singles before it was a surprise to kick the 2020 season off with 6 on 4th August, though after this night there were only singles on 3 more dates up to 19th August.  Also 6 swept from Ragwort at the meadows on 19th August.

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 21st August 2019

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 8th August 2020

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th August 2020

Pinalitus cervinus - Totals of 16 caught in my garden moth trap on 10 nights between 7th October and 26th November 2019 and 19 over 17 nights between 7th January and 1st November 2020.  They peaked at 5 on 14th October 2019 but I never caught more than 2 in a night in 2020.  Elsewhere one swept from Hornbeam at the meadows on 22nd September 2020 and 2 in Cornwall on 7th October 2020.  Some examples of this species can resemble Lygus species quite closely and in the past I've struggled to tell them apart.  I think I've figured it out now (size is pretty helpful - it took me a while to appreciate that) so hopefully there aren't any errors in this set of data.

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 22nd November 2019

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 23rd September 2020

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 27th September 2020

Polymerus unifasciatus - One swept at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020.

Polymerus unifasciatus, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Striped Oak Bug Rhabdomiris striatellus - One came to light at the Cathedral Meadows on 25th May 2019 - a lovely bug!

Striped Oak Bug Rhabdomiris striatellus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Stenotus binotatus - Singles in my garden moth trap on 9th and 17th July 2019 and 2 here on 4th July 2020.  I've recorded this species here in each of the last 5 years.

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Stenotus binotatus, North Elmham, 4th July 2020

Next page: more Miridae

Phyllonorycter trifasciella and other mid October moths

An evening stroll round the meadows on 17th October was worthwhile.  I caught a couple of Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella at dusk but it got more productive after dark.  One of the better moths was another Phyllonorycter, found resting on a leaf by torchlight - a Honeysuckle Midget Phyllonorycter trifasciella.  This is a species I don't encounter very often.

Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

Honeysuckle Midget Phyllonorycter trifasciella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

Other moths were 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 November Moths, 2 Green-brindled Crescents and Yellow-line Quaker.

Long-borned Flat-body Carcina quercana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

There were two of the darker flower bugs on Oak trunks but as I subsequently identified both confusus and nemoralis along here it isn't safe to name these without a specimen.  An easier bug to identify was Pinalitus cervinus.

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

A new beetle for me was the rove beetle Ocypus brunnipes.  Also a 7-spot Ladybird.

Ocypus brunnipes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

Finally I photographed this harvestman in the hope of working out its ID.  I think I have - Leiobunum rotundum.

Leiobunum rotundum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th October

Not a great deal in the moth trap at home that night: 3 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 2 November Moths, 2 Feathered Thorns, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker, Beaded Chestnut and Lunar Underwing.

The following night was very poor with Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, November Moth, Green-brindled Crescent, Chestnut and the caddisfly Halesus radiatus. The 19th was even worse with just November Moth, 2 Green-brindled Crescents and Beaded Chestnut.

A fungus foray at Beeston Common on 20th October was extremely interesting, the first I've ever been on.  A Brown Rat was above head height in the hedge by the entrance to the common - I don't ever recall seeing one so high up before.  We also saw an Adder, but of course these delights weren't what we were there for.  Expertly led by Tony Leech I learnt an enormous amout about fungi.  I took a lot of photos but quickly and badly, so they really aren't worth sharing here.  I did it mainly with the intention of helping me learn what I was seeing, recording the names as I did so.

A couple I think are worth mentioning were the Gorse Cramp Ball Daldinia fissa, a species that only occurs on gorse that has been burnt. and the Ergot Claviceps purpurea, which was once a very problematic contaminant of rye used in bread-making.

Gorse Cramp Ball Daldinia fissa, Beeston Common, 20th October

Ergot Claviceps purpurea, Beeston Common, 20th October

I am very grateful to Tony and the others who helped find and identify fungi - a very educational event that will not be my last fungus foray.

Afterwards I went to Beeston Priory for a drink with the Mrs.  There was Common Darter here, and this thing.  It's quite aphid-like but lacks obvious siphuncular cones shown by most aphids.  I think some lack them though, so maybe an aphid, or perhaps a nymph of a bug of some sort.

unidentified bug, Beeston Priory, 20th October

A small selection of moths in the garden trap that night included the first Mottled Umber of the autumn, and Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 8 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 5 November Moths, 7 Feathered Thorns, Sprawler, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, 2 Bricks and Snout.   There were also the caddisflies Limnephilus lunatus and 2 Halesus radiatus, and the beetle Lagria hirta.

Mottled Umber, North Elmham, 20th October

Sprawler, North Elmham, 20th October

Brick, North Elmham, 20th October

There was a bigger and better selection of moths the following night: London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple-moths Epiphyas postvittana, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 9 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Spruce Carpet, 13 November Moths, 3 Pale November Moths (and 1 other Epirrita sp.), 4 Feathered Thorns, White-point, Sprawler, 3 Green-brindled Crescents, 2 Bricks, Red-line Quaker, 5 Yellow-line Quakers and Vine's Rustic.  Caddisflies were Brown Sedge Anabolia nervosa, 3 Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus lunatus.  There was also one bug, Pinalitus cervinus and the barkfly Ectopsocus briggsi.

Ectopsocus briggsi (male), North Elmham, 21st October

There was much less again the following night with Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Pale November Moth, Feathered Thorn, Red-line Quaker and 4 Yellow-line Quakers.

The following night's selection was 2 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella, 7 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, November Moth, 4 Pale November Moths, 2 Feathered Thorns, Turnip Moth, 2 Sprawlers, 6 Green-brindled Crescents, Red-line Quaker and 2 Yellow-line Quakers. Caddisflies were Limnephilus auricula, 3 Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus, and there was a Tarnished Plant Bug Lygus rugulipennis.

Next day a Hornet was the only insect noted at the Cathedral Meadows.  Fungi included this Jelly Ear.

Jelly Ear, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th October

That night the garden moth trap produced Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 3 Pale November Moths, 4 Feathered Thorns, 2 Sprawlers, Red-line Quaker, Yellow-line Quaker and the caddisfly Halesus radiatus.

New bugs including some interesting leaf/plant hoppers

Compared to the previous two nights 25th July was relatively quiet, with just 2 new moths for the year: Dark Ash-bud Moth Prays ruficeps and Little Mompha Mompha raschkiella.

Little Mompha Mompha raschkiella, North Elmham, 25th July

The other micros were Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, 3 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, 2 House Nebs Bryotropha domestica, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, probable Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta (not confirmed), 4 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 3 Bright Bells Eucosma hohenwartiana, 2 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 236 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 8 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 4 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 6 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis and Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella.

Macros consisted of 2 Least Carpets, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 6 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Small Phoenixes, July Highflyer, 2 Lime-speck Pugs, Magpie Moth, Clouded Border, Brimstone Moth, Bordered Beauty, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Poplar Hawk-moth, 3 Pale Prominents, 2 Yellow-tails, 12 Dingy Footmen, Buff Ermine, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Turnip Moths, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown-line Bright Eye, 3 Clays, Smoky Wainscot, Common Wainscot, Dun-bar, Dusky Sallow, Rosy Rustic, 19 Uncertains, 4 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock and 3 Straw Dots.

There weren't any lacewings but these were the mayflies: Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, 3 Pale Evening Duns Procloeon bifidum and 10 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Caddisflies consisted of Hydroptila sparsa, Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa, Limnephilus auricula and Molanna angustata.

One of two leafhoppers was a lifer, Populicerus confusus (the other was Empoasca vitis).  There were 2 Amara apicaria (ground beetles) and a Hornet.

Populicerus confusus, North Elmham, 25th July

The following night was better with 427 moths of 89 species, but it was the other insects, particularly the bugs, that provided most interest.  I'll start with the moths though...

A Rivulet was the only new moth for the year, but there were a few other species I don't record very often, like what I think was a Coarse Hazel Pigmy Stigmella floslactella (but although it keyed to this relatively distinctive species the genitalia weren't an exact match to images online and other species can perhaps come close in external appearance), and a Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella (my third here this year but my first was only last year).

Rrivulet, North Elmham, 26th July

Thicket Knot-horn Acrobasis suavella, North Elmham, 26th July

I can no longer count the Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna or any past records as these are now categorised as Grade 4 requiring dissection.  The other two Norfolk Phyllocnistis species are relatively simply eliminated on external features so I've never retained these for dissection, but there is a fourth species that has not yet been found in Norfolk, Phyllocnistis ramulicola, that looks very similar.  There may be external differences but these haven't been clearly established yet, so in future I shall have to retain and dissect any I get (though at the moment I'm not clear what the differences are in genitalia either...).

A count of 6 Four-spotted Obscures Oegoconia quadripuncta was a record - in fact I wrote 7 down in my notes as I was clearing the trap but later on I could only find 6 specimens to confirm.

Other micros were Chestnut Pigmy Stigmella samiatella, 2 Cork Moths Nemapogon cloacella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Apple Leaf-miner Lyonetia clerkella, Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 2 Garden Midgets Phyllonorycter messaniella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Cherry-fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, 2 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Little Ermines Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, 5 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 4 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 3 Small Dingy Tubics Borkhausenia fuscescens, 5 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 9 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, 225 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 20 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 3 Pale Water-veneers Donacaula forficella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis and 7 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis.

The rest of the macros were Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 7 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 4 Riband Waves, 5 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Yellow Shell, Small Phoenix, July Highflyer, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, 6 Dingy Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 3 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, 3 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Straw Underwing, 4 Dun-bars, Common Rustic, 11 Uncertains, 4 Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle and 3 Straw Dots.

Mayflies consisted of Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, 4 Green Drakes Ephemera danica and 11 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita.  Although Green Drakes are the largest Mayfly they don't seem to be very hardy and perhaps only survive one night as most of those I trap are found dead in the bottom of the trap.  All 4 of today's were dead.

A waxfly was a female Coniopteryx - females can't be identified to species level unfortunately.  The only other Neuroptera was the brown lacewing Micromus variegatus.

Caddisflies were 3 Ithytrichia lamellaris, Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Athripsodes aterrimus and 3 Grouse Wings Mystacides longicornis.

It's been a good summer for me finding new species of bug already, and on this one night I caught no less than 4 new species!  Starting with the heteropteran bugs, Orthotylus flavosparsus was a lifer, Pinalitus cervinus was new for the year and there were 2 more Trigonotylus caelestialium.

Orthotylus flavosparsus, North Elmham, 26th July

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 26th July

The homopteran bugs threw up some surprises.  Cicadula frontalis was the first lifer, followed by one I wouldn't necessarily expect here, Opsius stactogalus.  It sounds like this is a new colonists, initially to southern England, but it feeds on Tamarisk which I think of as mainly a coastal plant.  Maybe someone has some Tamarisk locally, but I don't recall seeing it.  Anyway, it seems to be quite a distinctive species so I presume my ID is correct (though of course I always welcome corrections if any reader notices a mistake).  An Empoasca vitis was the only other leafhopper.

Cicadula frontalis, North Elmham, 26th July

Opsius stactogalus, North Elmham, 26th July

The following planthopper proved to be another interesting find.  This one was quite an ID challenge having to be keyed out carefully but in the end I am left with no other options apart from Struebingianella lugubrina.  On the face of it this seems rather unlikely as this prefers marshy habitats and is normally brachypterous (i.e. has very reduced wings).  The texts say that macropterous (full-winged) individuals occur rarely (though I can't find any photos of any) so the odds of me trapping a full-winged individual in my garden seem rather low.  But I have checked it carefully and if the key is right then that's what it is.  Of course new leafhoppers are being found all the time and some of them become common in a short space of time, so perhaps there is another similar species that doesn't feature in the key?  I shall enquire about this when I submit my records but in the meantime I'm putting it down as a macropterous Struebingianella lugubrina.  I suppose you could argue that macropterous individuals, rare though they may be, might be the individuals that are most likely to wander far from their usual locations and turn up in moth traps.

(Update May 2021: finally getting round now to submitting my records for 2018-2020 and I was reminded of this record and decided to review it before submitting it.  I've still not encountered many similar members of this family though I have now come across a few Javesella and was immediately struck by its general similarity to Javesella species.  However, Javesella show a black frons, so this appears not to be one of them.  The British Bugs website has been updated since I found this so I had another look there for inspiration and noticed a rather similar looking example of Scottianella dalei (a macropterous female - macropters are supposed to be rare for that species too), so I checked where that diverged from lugubrina in the key.  The couplet that pushed me to lugubrina rather than dalei (and I think it would have ended up at dalei if I'd gone the other way) was an assessment of size.  It seems that I didn't keep the specimen (or at least I can't find it) and I didn't record the size, so I can't double check that now, but assuming I measured it correctly, might it have been an unusually large dalei?  Well, the gonocoxae are important with this group, and I have a photo of its gonocoxae - and they're quite wrong for dalei and do indeed appear to be a good match for lugubrina.  Indeed none of the gonocoxae illustrated in the key are a good match for it apart from lugubrina.  So for now at least it stays down as lugubrina, but I remain open to correction should that be necessary.  But I do note that lugubrina is described as "apparently expanding" and the NBN Atlas does show a few records in Norfolk).

apparent macropterous Struebingianella lugubrina, North Elmham, 26th July - the lower photo shows the gonocoxa the shape of which is a significant clue to the identification

Beetles included 3 Amara apricaria, 5 Bradycellus verbasci, 2 Hydrobius fuscipes, Nicrophorus investigator, Aphodius rufipes, Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva and what I think was either Ophonus puncticeps or Ophonus schaubergerianus.  There were also two rove beetles that I am currently unable to identify - a smallish black one and a large black one.  I thought the latter was going to be a Devil's Coach Horse or something similar but it seems not to be that genus even.  I've kept hold of them for now and will check again if I ever get any better references for rove beetles.

The only other thing I noted was a Common Wasp.

Field Grasshopper, new for the moth trap

The night of Friday 21st July was another good one with 109 species recorded at home.  These included another New Poplar Pigmy Ectoedemia hannoverella, my third this summer - surprising for a species that has never been recorded further north than this in Norfolk at all, not even by its leaf-mines which are usually the easiest way to record Ectoedemia species.  This one was much more worn so I wouldn't have been confident about the ID without recognising the genitalia (though there were enough scales left on it for me to suspect the correct ID).

* Edit 2018: OK, a bit too surprising.  I got a bit more suspicious after having another in 2018 - all these records seem a lot for a Poplar-feeding species given the distance from here to the nearest Poplars.  Having looked into it a bit more it now seems possible - indeed likely - that they are not hannoverella but Spotted Black Pigmies Ectoedemia subbimaculella.  I cannot rule out hannoverella, nor the Holm-Oak species heringella as both the external appearance and the genitalia are very similar between all 3 species, but as there is an Oak tree close by (subbimaculella feeds on Oak) and no Poplar or Holm-Oak very close I think subbimaculella is most likely.  Not entirely sure why I overlooked this as a possibility - probably because most of the photos online show much better patterned individuals than any of mine.

Five new species for the year were also small micros - Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella and Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella.

Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

A count of 14 Horse Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella was twice my previous best for my garden trap - I'm sure I wouldn't have to go far to find its foodplant but there's none in the immediate vicinity so far as I know.

The other micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella, Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 24 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, 4 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 6 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, 5 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Common Cosmet Mompha epilobiella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 4 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, Large Beech Piercer Cydia fagiglandana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 9 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 26 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 7 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 2 Dusky Pearls Udea prunalis, 17 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 6 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 8 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Brown Plume Stenoptilia pterodactyla and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Oak Bent-wing Bucculatrix ulmella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Red Hazel Midget Phyllonorycter nicellii (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Large Beech Piercer Cydia fagiglandana, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Among the macros Copper Underwing and 2 Fen Wainscots were new for the year.

Copper Underwing (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Fen Wainscot, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

The other macros were 4 Chinese Characters, Buff Arches, 3 Blood-veins, Least Carpet, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 8 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Large Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Common Carpets, Yellow Shell, Lime-speck Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Currant Pugs, 3 Double-striped Pugs, Yellow-barred Brindle, Magpie Moth, 2 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Swallow Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 3 Rosy Footmen, 14 Dingy Footmen, 3 Scarce Footmen, 2 Buff Footmen, 7 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Double Square-spot, 5 Nutmegs, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 4 Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic (plus 2 Common Rustic aggs. that escaped), 3 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Cream-bordered Green Pea, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, 2 Straw Dots and 3 Snouts.

A Field Grasshopper in the trap was, perhaps surprisingly, a species I'd not recorded in the garden before.

Field Grasshopper, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

There were 3 species of mayfly: 2 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum, Lake Olive Cloeon simile and Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita. Having the recent experience of catching relatively large numbers of Cloeon dipterum and seeing both sexes moulting from sub-imago to imago increaesd my confidence in identifying mayflies but with no subsequent records of Cloeon simile until now I'd started to wonder about some of my older records of that species.  At some point I'll check my photos but at least I now know that this species definitely does occur here sometimes.

Lake Olive Cloeon simile, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

A good number of green lacewings too, if not a huge variety: 5 Cunctochrysa albolineata, 16 Dichochrysa flavifrons and Dichochrysa prasina. Caddisflies consisted of 3 Hydropsyche siltalai, Medium Sedge Goera pilosa, Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Athripsodes aterrimus and Ceraclea dissimilis.

Limnephilus flavicornis (male), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

I had to dissect it to figure out what it was but eventually identified this leafhopper as Alebra albostriella, a new species for me.

Alebra albostriella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Other bugs were the mirid bugs Lygus pratensis (new for the year) and Pinalitus cervinus and the leafhoppers Iassus lanio and Lamprotettix nitidulus.

Pinalitus cervinus, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Two beetles were new for the house (not that I would have identified them prior to this year): the water beetle Ilybius ater and the click beetle Stenagostus rhombeus.  Other beetles were the Sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator, 3 Aphodius rufipes and a Harlequin Ladybird.

 Ilybius ater, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Stenagostus rhombeus, North Elmham, 21st July 2017

Last year when the next door neighbour's grandson was staying I loaned them my spare trap and went round in the mornings to go through it with them.  He evidently enjoyed it and popped round to see if I would do it again this year, which of course I was delighted to do.

A good variety of macro moths kept him entertained inlcuding Pebble Hook-tip, Large Emerald, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, Single-dotted Waves, Riband Waves, 3 Magpie Moths, 2 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 2 Willow Beauties, Rosy Footman, Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Flame Shoulder, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Clay, Dun-bar, Dusky Sallow, Uncertains, Rustics, Nut-tree Tussocks and Straw Dot.

I didn't attempt to keep a complete count or list of every species but the micros I noted were Clover Case-bearer Coleophora alcyonipennella, Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, Cnephasia sp., Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Yellow Satin Veneer Crambus perlella, Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella and Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis.