Review of 2019 and 2020 - Bugs: Plant bugs - part 7: Phylini II (Phoenicocoris to Psallus)

PLANT BUGS (MIRIDAE) (continued)


Tribe PHYLINI (continued)


Phoenicocoris obscurellus - One in my garden moth trap on 13th July 2019, my second record here following one in 2018.

Phoenicocoris obscurellus, North Elmham, 13th July 2019

Phylus coryli - One in the garden on 25th June 2020 came to a pheremone lure trap for Yellow-legged Clearwing.  I caught 5 in my moth trap in 2017-18 but none recorded in 2019.

Phylus coryli, North Elmham, 25th June 2020

Phylus melanocephalus - I gather that 'Phylus palliceps' is now considered to be a variety of Phylus melanocephalus and not a separate species - both forms occur here though the orange-headed palliceps type are commoner than the original black-headed melanocephalus.  Singles caught in my garden moth trap on 24th June and 16th July 2019 (both palliceps-type) and 7 between 11th June and 4th July 2020 (3 palliceps-type and 4 traditional melanocephalus).  Also a black-headed one swept off Broom at the meadows on the earlier date of 1st June 2020.

Phylus melanocephalus, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Phylus melanocephalus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June 2020

Phylus melanocephalus, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

Plagiognathus arbustorum - One in my moth trap on 24th June 2019 was new for my garden; another here (found indoors) on 6th July 2020.  The same day as the latter one on St John's Wort at the meadows and then one there on Hogweed on 20th July.

Plagiognathus arbustorum, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Plagiognathus arbustorum, North Elmham, 6th July 2020

Plagiognathus arbustorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th July 2020

Plagiognathus chrysanthemi - One swept at the meadows on 20th July 2020, my second record of this species.  Then a week later one in the garden moth trap, my first here.

Plagiognathus chrysanthemi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th July 2020

Plagiognathus chrysanthemi, North Elmham, 27th July 2020

Psallus falleni - 4 males in the garden moth trap between 10th and 17th August 2020.  I'd only identified this species once before (2018) but I think I have overlooked it in the past (as I think I did for what was almost certainly another one on 8th August 2020 - misidentified at the time due to a contradiction in the reference I was using regarding the width of pale at the base of the cuneus).

Psallus falleni, North Elmham, 12th August 2020 - showing aedeagus in second photo

Psallus falleni, North Elmham, 14th August 2020

Psallus flavellus - None.  I identified this species in my garden in 2018.


Psallus haematodes - One at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and one in the garden moth trap on 1st August 2020 - I've had 1-2 here before in 2016 and 2018.

Psallus haematodes, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Psallus haematodes, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

Psallus perrisi - I identified 3 of these from my garden and 1 from the meadows in 2018 but haven't found any males since.  Some female perrisi/wagneri were found in 2020 - see under wagneri below.


Psallus varians - I had thought this was the commonest Psallus here in the past but in 2020 when I realised I'd been confused by the contradiction in my reference over Psallus falleni, I reviewed my previous records (only from photos as I didn't keep the specimens).  I think some of them are probably fine but several look like they may have been misidentified and so I'm now considering the latter unproven.  Anyway, I had identified 5 here (all to light) in 2019 but am now only leaving one of those records standing, that from 1st June.  I've also reviewed the 11 I had recorded here in 2018 and deleted 5 of those (but the other 6 look good).  Some of those I've deleted may well have been correctly identified but others were probably falleni.  Only one identified here in 2020, on 24th June, and I think I may have identified that one before realising the problem with falleni, so am excluding that one from the records too (it looks a bit doubtful from the photo).  The same applies to my first record from the meadows in 2020 but those on 27th May and 23rd June were processed after I was aware of the problem and I think these are fine (the latter was a male, gen detted).

Psallus varians, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th May 2020

Psallus varians, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2020 - showing aedeagus in second photo

Psallus wagneri - Female bugs at the meadows on 27th May (3) and 13th June 2020 were either this species or Psallus perrisi.  I did have a confirmed perrisi here in 2018 but the only fully identified record of this duo from the meadows in 2020 was my first confimred male wagneri, on Broom (under Oak) on 1st June.

Psallus wagneri, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 1st June 2020 - showing slightly different orientations of the aedeagus in second and third photos

Next page: Nabidae

Record count of 331 straminella (and a few more interesting bits and pieces)

Compared to the excellent night of 23rd July there were more moths on 24th (645 vs. 594) but fewer species (120 vs. 127) and rather less quality.  The numbers were swelled by a record count of 331 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella.

Perhaps the best moth was a White-border Neb Isophrictis striatella, my second here and third anywhere.

White-border Neb Isophrictis striatella, North Elmham, 24th July

Other new moths for the year were Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, Bordered Beauty, 2 Black Arches, Copper Underwing and Twin-spotted Wainscot.

Gold-ribbon Argent Argyresthia brockeella, North Elmham, 24th July

Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July

Bordered Beauty, North Elmham, 24th July

Black Arches, North Elmham, 24th July

Copper Underwing, North Elmham, 24th July

Twin-spotted Wainscot, North Elmham, 24th July

Other moths were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Maple Slender Caloptilia semifascia, Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, 3 Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miners Cameraria ohridella, Willow Bent-wing Phyllocnistis saligna, 2 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Grey Ermine Yponomeuta sedella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, 2 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, 4 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 4 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Dark Neb Bryotropha affinis, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, 3 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, House Neb Bryotropha domestica, Ash-coloured Crest Acompsia cinerella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Four-spotted Obscure Oegoconia quadripuncta, 6 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Chamomile Conch Cochylidia implicitana, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 5 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, 2 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 10 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, 7 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Inlaid Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, 5 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Pearl Evergestis pallidata, 14 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Buff Arches, Least Carpet, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 9 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 12 Riband Waves, 2 Flame Carpets, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 7 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, 4 Common Carpets, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Lime-speck Pug, Wormwood Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, Brimstone Moth, 4 Early Thorns, 3 Scalloped Oaks, 2 Willow Beauties, Poplar Hawk-moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, 18 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 4 Common Footmen, 3 Ruby Tigers, 3 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 7 Flame Shoulders, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Double Square-spots, Antler Moth, 4 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, Mouse Moth, 7 Dun-bars, 2 Dark Arches, Double Lobed, 2 Cloaked Minors, Common Rustic, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, 2 Dusky Sallows, 2 Ear Moths, Fen Wainscot, 14 Uncertains, 5 Rustics, 4 Nut-tree Tussocks, Straw Dot and Snout.

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 24th July

Double Lobed, North Elmham, 24th July

I often have problems with Blackbirds feeding on my discarded moths but this year a new problem cropped up from time to time - wasps attacking moths that I'd released from the trap.  This Poplar Hawk-moth seemed unable or unwilling to fly away from the attentions of the wasp (Common Wasp I think but I didn't check its face markings).  It was difficult to see what was going on exactly but I didn't see the wasp sting the moth and it seemed to be focusing on the wings, which it was possibly eating (cerrtainly damaging at any rate).

Poplar Hawk-moth attended by wasp, North Elmham, 24th July

Mayflies were 2 Pale Evening Duns Procloeon bifidum and 3 Blue-winged Olives Serratella ignita. Among the lacewings Dichochrysa ventralis was new for the year and there was 3 Cunctochrysa albolineata and 2 Micromus variegatus.

Dichochrysa ventralis, North Elmham, 24th July - showing its characteristic black-marked ventral surface

Caddisflies included Polycentropus irroratus and Tinodes waeneri, both new for the year, and Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Hydropsyche pellucidula, Hydropsyche siltalai, Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus and Limnephilus rhombicus.

Polycentropus irroratus (female), North Elmham, 24th July

Tinodes waeeri (male), North Elmham, 24th July

New bugs for the year were 2 Birch Shieldbugs, Phytocoris varipes and Psallus haematodes.  Other bugs were Forest Bug, Lygus pratensis, Megalocoleus molliculus and Trigonotylus caelestialium.

Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 24th July

Psallus haematodes, North Elmham, 24th July

Megalocoleus molliculus, North Elmham, 24th July

There were 2 Ectopsocus barklice, one of which I checked and confirmed was my first Ectopsocus briggsi of the year.

Ectopsocus briggsi (male), North Elmham, 24th July

The click beetle Melanotus villosus was new for the year; other beetles were 2 Amara apricaria and Lagria hirta.

Melanotus villosus, North Elmham, 24th July

Butterbur but better

Two Migrant Hawkers graced the garden during the day of 12th August, along with Brimstone, Large White and 4 Peacocks.  That night proved to be an excellent night for moths with 227 moths of 87 species including some good surprises.  Among them was a macro lifer, and not one I particularly expected to encounter at home although it proved to be the first of three this autumn - an enormous dull (coloured), chubby-winged version of a Rosy Rustic - a Butterbur.

Butterbur, North Elmham, 12th August

Much nicer looking was this Bordered Beauty, hot on the heels of my first one on 6th August.

Bordered Beauty, North Elmham, 12th August

I was pretty happy with these, but had I identified one tricky tortrix straight away I'd have been even more pleased.  But it was pretty worn and apart from seeming quite dark it didn't have much in the way of distinguishing features - although how much that was due to its condition wasn't clear.  I had to dissect it to find out what it was.  The female genitalia pointed me to one of the Endothenia species but it wasn't immediately obvious which one.  Eventually I figured it out, though I had to get a second opinion before confirming it given its rarity.  It was a Woundwort Marble Endothenia pullana, a nationally notable species of fens and marshes that's only been recorded in Norfolk once before - in 1892!

Woundwort Marble Endothenia pullana (female, gen det confirmed per Jim Wheeler), North Elmham, 12th August

Two other micros were new for the house: Long-streak Midget Phyllonorycter salicicolella and Little Conch Cochylis dubitana.

Long-streak Midget Phyllonorycter salicicolella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 12th August

Little Conch Cochylis dubitana, North Elmham, 12th August

 
Another micro would have been noteworthy had it not escaped before I had a chance to identify or photograph it.  It was either Yellow-backed Clothes Moth Monopis obviella, which would have been another new moth for me, or Pale-backed Clothes Moth Monopis crocicapitella, which would have been new for the year and is supposed to be a rarer moth.

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea was new for the year and other micros consisted of Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 2 Ribwort Slenders Aspilapteryx tringipennella, Hazel Slender Parornix devoniella, White Oak Midget Phyllonorycter harrisella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, 3 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, 2 Chequered Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis corylana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, 4 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana, 14 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 21 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, 5 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 14 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 8 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis and Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella.

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, North Elmham, 12th August

Golden Argent Argyresthia goedartella, North Elmham, 12th August

Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 12th August

Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, North Elmham, 12th August

Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simliciana, North Elmham, 12th August

The remaining macros were 2 Orange Swifts, Pebble Hook-tip, 2 Blood-veins, Small Fan-footed Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 5 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, 2 Small Rivulets, Maple Pug, Currant or Wormwood Pug (got away), 2 Yellow-barred Brindles, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 2 Dusky Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, Iron Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, 2 Pale Prominents, 3 Dingy Footmen, 8 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 17 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, 2 Six-striped Rustics, Square-spot Rustic, Knot Grass, Coronet, Straw Underwing, 5 Dark Arches, Cloaked Minor, 2 Common Rustics, 3 Flounced Rustics, Twin-spotted Wainscot, Uncertain, Nut-tree Tussock and 19 Straw Dots.

Twin-spot Wainscot, North Elmham, 12th August

Knot Grass, North Elmham, 12th August

Maple Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 12th August

Finally the bug Psallus haematodes was a new one for me.

Psallus haematodes, North Elmham, 12th August