Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Leopard Moth (Cossidae), Clearwings (Sesiidae) and Burnets (Zygaenidae)

GOAT and LEOPARD MOTHS (COSSIDAE)


Goat Moth Cossus cossus - None.  Sadly I didn't join the excellent field trip to Weeting Heath where they caught no less than 3 Goat Moths!  I've never seen this species but there are records from not too far away including one at Lyng in 2019, so I've not given up hope of finding one locally.


Leopard Moth Zeuzera pyrina - Singles at home on 5 nights between 23rd June and 6th August 2019.  This species is just about annual here but 5 nights is the most I've ever recorded it on in a year, though I have trapped more than 5 individuals in a year before.  In 2020 2 on 26th June and one on 21st July; also one at Bintree Wood on 24th July.  I don't think this is a moth you can ever see too many of.  Most don't go in the trap - they just flop on to the grass nearby.

Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 26th June 2020

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CLEARWINGS (SESIIDAE)


Raspberry Clearwing Pennisetia hylaeiformis - None.  I've been trying for this for 3-4 years but have had no luck yet.  That it's worth looking for is now clear - after the first county record in 2018 there were 4 more records in 2020.


Hornet Moth Sesia apiformis - None. This species came to lure here in 2017 (2) and 2018 but no luck in 2019 or 2020.


Lunar Hornet Moth Sesia bembeciformis - One of the events of 2020 was the discovery that this shy and elusive species isn't half as rare as we thought it was.  A new pheremone lure became available and most of us who got hold of it quickly had instant success with it, some of us getting them in within just a few minutes (I had 2 by 9.15am on 2nd July).  It remains to be seen whether they will be this easy every year or if 2020 was a good year for them.  A week or two later, still well within their flight period, they became much harder to find and I failed to get any at the meadows.

Lunar Hornet Moths, North Elmham, 2nd July 2020 (first 3 photos are the same moth, last is a different one)

Large Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon culiciformis - None.  Maybe I shall have to head to some heaths to find this species but I still reckon I've got a chance of attracting one to the garden - indeed I see someone found one very near here in 2020.  No such luck for me yet though.


Red-tipped Clearwing Synanthedon formicaeformis - 2 in the garden on 23rd June 2019 and 4 between 21st May and 17th June 2020, the third and fourth consecutive years I've recorded this species here.  All came to the Red-tipped Clearwing lure except for one which came to the Yellow-legged Clearwing lure (though it's possible I'd had the Red-tipped Clearwing lure in there beforehand and not cleaned it out properly).

Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 31st May 2020

Red-tipped Clearwing, North Elmham, 17th June 2020

Orange-tailed Clearwing Synanthedon andrenaeformis - I was a bit disappointed in 2017 to find that my first Orange-tailed Clearwing attracted to lure died in the trap so I never saw it alive.  I have never had the same problem with any other clearwing until 29th June 2019 when I caught my second Orange-tailed Clearwing, and was gutted to find that this was dead too.  Thankfully I got two more chances in 2019 catching live examples on 3rd and 4th July.  The first two came to VES Yellow-legged Clearwing lure as expected but the last came to the HYL lure for Raspberry Clearwing, however I hadn't cleaned the lure holder since the previous day so it may have been attracted to scent left on it from then.  Another one on 13th June 2020.

Orange-tailed Clearwing, North Elmham, 3rd July 2019

Orange-tailed Clearwing, North Elmham, 13th June 2020

Red-belted Clearwing Synanthedon myopaeformis - 2 in my garden on 25th June 2020.  I had lures for both Red-belted and Large Red-belted Clearwings out and one went in each.  I've only caught this species here once before, in 2018.  Note that although this species is meant to have white palps (orange on Large Red-belted) one of these had extensively orange tips to the (otherwise white) palps.

Red-belted Clearwings, North Elmham, 25th June 2020 - first 2 photos are the same moth and last 2 are the other moth

Yellow-legged Clearwing Synanthedon vespiformis - Totals of 5 in my garden between 2nd and 30th June 2019 and 3 between 19th May and 31st July.  The third and fourth years  running I've caught this species here.  All came to the VES lure for Yellow-legged Clearwings except for the last which came to the new lure for Orange-tailed Clearwing.

Yellow-legged Clearwing, North Elmham, 22nd June 2019

Yellow-legged Clearwing, North Elmham, 25th June 2020

Yellow-legged Clearwing, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Currant Clearwing Synanthedon tipuliformis - 3 in the garden on 30th June 2019 and 2 on 25th June 2020.  They all came to the TIP Currant Clearwing lure and the 2019 ones at least were late afternoon/evening.  The third and fourth consecutive years I've recorded this species here.

Currant Clearwings, North Elmham, 25th June 2020

Six-belted Clearwing Bembecia ichneumoniformis - One to the pheremone lure for this species here in my garden on 25th June 2020, the first record in this 10k square.  It hadn't been one I was particularly expecting given the absence of records from central Norfolk but Keith catching 4 in Litcham in 2019 gave me hope that it might be possible, and sure enough in 2020 it proved to be so.

Six-belted Clearwing, North Elmham, 25th June 2020

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FESTOON (LIMACODIDAE)


Festoon Apoda limacodes - None.  I haven't recorded this species any closer than Weston Park but it doesn't seem to much of a stretch to hope for one to turn up round here.

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BURNETS (ZYGAENIDAE)


Forester Adscita statices - None.  I haven't recorded this species locally and there aren't many records anywhere near here.  Just enough to give me some hope though.


Slender Scotch Burnet Zygaena loti - At least 3 found at Slochd, west of Tioran, on Mull in June 2019.  This species is endemic to Mull and two of the smaller adjacent islands so it was high on my wanted list during this trip.  In the end it was the only Burnet I found (shame about the Transparent, but there'll be another chance to see them one day).

Slender Scotch Burnets, west of Tioran (Mull), 10th June 2019

Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae - 8 at the Cathedral Meadows on 24th June 2019 and one there on 29th July.  None in 2020.


Five-spot Burnet agg. Zygaena lonicerae/trifoli - One at Foxley Wood on 11th July 2020.  This is the nearest I've come to recording either species or unidentified aggregates locally but there are a few records from this part of the world so perhaps I can expect to before too long.  Also a caterpillar at Brancaster on 2nd July which was either Five-spot Burnet or Six-spot Burnet (Narrow-bordered Five-spot has longer hairs).

Five-spot Burnet or Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet, Foxley Wood, 11th July 2020

Five-spot Burnet or Six-spot Burnet, Brancaster, 6th July 2020

Next page: Pyralidae

Red-belted Clearwing

The 93 species of moth at home on 16th July included the following new moths for the year: Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella, Magpie Moth and Blackneck. I've now had a single (but only a single) Blackneck here in each of the last four years.

Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, North Elmham, 16th July

Dull Red Neb Bryotropha senectella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th July

Magpie Moth, North Elmham, 16th July

Blackneck, North Elmham, 16th July

Others were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 10 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Hawthorn Ermines Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 2 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, 2 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, 8 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, 123 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 4 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, 15 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, 6 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Double-striped Tabby Hypsopygia glaucinalis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Drinker, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, Common Emerald, 2 Blood-veins, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, 6 Single-dotted Waves, Small Scallop, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, Common Carpet, 2 July Highflyers, Small Rivulet, Maple Pug, Green Pug, Double-striped Pug, 6 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 7 Early Thorns, 2 Scalloped Oaks, Swallow-tailed Moth, Willow Beauty, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Elephant Hawk-moths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, Buff-tip, 2 Yellow-tails, 5 Rosy Footmen, 17 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 14 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, Double Square-spot, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 6 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Dun-bars, Tawny Marbled Minor, 2 Common Rustics, 2 Dusky Sallows, 22 Uncertains, Rustic, 5 Nut-tree Tussocks, Beautiful Hook-tip, Snout and Fan-foot.

Nut-bud Moth Epinotia tenerana, North Elmham, 16th July - not sure I've had one so 'black-and-white' before; they usually have quite a bit or orangey-brown colouration

Other insects were Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum and Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum (mayflies), the caddisflies Limnephilus flavicornis, Limnephilus lunatus and Athripsodes aterrimus, the leafhopper Iassus lanio and the beetle Lagria hirta.  There was also this icnhemon wasp which I naively thought might be sufficiently distinctive as to be identifiable.  Well I tried to take it through Gavin Broad's 2015 key to subfamilies and got to 4b.  The footnote says only one species of one of Aclastus and two of Gnypetomorpha should key here (though it doesn't say which species).  I can't find images of either that look like my insect, though I'm not sure if that's because there aren't many images online or if it's because I went wrong in the key (but it's very likely the latter - I find it very difficult to determine which veins are which, especially when the point is that they are missing).

unidentified ichneumon wasp, North Elmham, 16th July

Of 80 speies the following night just two were new for the year: Antler Moth and Lunar-spotted Pinion.

Antler Moth, North Elmham, 17th July

Lunar-spotted Pinion, North Elmham, 17th July

The rest were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, 4 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, Scarce Obscure Oegoconia deauratella (and another Oegoconia sp. which I lost), London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Red-barred Tortrixes Ditula angustiorana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, 3 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 96 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 3 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 8 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Drinker, 3 Blood-veins, 3 Least Carpets, 5 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, July Highflyer, 5 Clouded Borders, Scorched Carpet, 6 Early Thorns, 2 Willow Beauties, Elephant Hawk-moth, Pale Prominent, 3 Yellow-tails, 3 Rosy Footmen, 8 Dingy Footmen, 3 Scarce Footmen, 21 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, 2 Ruby Tigers, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 4 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, Bright-line Brown-eye, Brown-line Bright Eye, 4 Smoky Wainscots, Common Wainscot, 3 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic (and a Common Rustic agg. that escaped), 2 Dusky Sallows, Rosy Rustic, 18 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks, Silver Y, Beautiful Hook-tip and Snout.

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 17th July

There were also the mayflies Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum and Blue-winged Olive Serratella ignita, and caddisflies Plectrocnemia conspersa and Hydropsyche pellucidula.

I have tried on many occasions last year and this year to attract a Red-belted Clearwing to pheremone lure in the garden (and elsewhere).  It's not a common species in Norfolk and until recently the only records were from the Norwich area.  In the last couple of years with more people using pheremone lures more have turned up elsewhere with a few from the Brecks and quite a lot from the far west of the county, but there is still only one record at a similar latitude to North Elmham (Buxton Heath in 2016) and none further north in the county.  So having tried and failed so many times it began to seem reasonable to conclude that there aeren't any Red-belted Clearwings in this area.  But I'm not one to give up easily so I kept trying, and was absolutely delighted when I checked my pheremone trap on 18th July to find a single Red-belted Clearwing inside it.  Result!  Now if a Large Red-belted Clearwing could please oblige in the same way next year that would be perfect...

Red-belted Clearwing, North Elmham, 18th July