Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Gelechiids (Gelechiidae) (Part 6: Groundlings - subfamily Gelechiinae II)

GELECHIIDS (GELECHIIDAE) (continued)


Subfamily GELECHIINAE (continued)


Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella - Singles in my garden trap on 18th April, 1st June and 23rd July 2019 and 14th June and 17th July 2020.  I've had up to 4 of these here each year except 2015.  Elsewhere what I'm pretty sure was this species at the meadows on 22nd April 2019 (but it escaped in my study and this species requires confirmation by gen detting to be officially recorded) and one on Mull in June 2019.

male Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, North Elmham, 18th April 2019

female Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, North Elmham, 17th July 2020

Sea-blite Groundling Scrobipalpa suaedella - Of 15+ similar-looking Scrobipalpa at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020, 3 were retained and confirmed to be this species.

male Sea-blite Groundlings Scrobipalpa suaedella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Sea-aster Groundling Scrobipalpa salicorniae - Dave Norgate asked me about a Gelechiid he'd taken at home (Toftwood, Dereham) on 26th July 2019.  It looked really interesting - apparently a Scrobipalpa, and suspiciously similar to salicorniae.  But this is a pretty rare species even in its saltmarsh habitat with none recorded in the county since 2 in 2004.  Indeed there haven't been any other records since I was born in 1971.  So the odds of the next one turning up far inland in Toftwood seem remote to the extreme.  Surely it wasn't this.  But if not, the other similar species are mainly coastal and/or extremely rare, so this one had to be resolved and I agree to give it the chop.  And sure enough, it WAS salicorniae!  Wow!  What an amazing record!  I was pretty impressed with my 2018 record of the equally saltmarsh-specific (but much commoner) Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella here in North Elmham, but this record tramples all over mine!

male Sea-aster Groundling Scrobipalpa salicorniae, Toftwood, 26th July 2019 (caught by Dave Norgate)

Saltern Groundling Scrobipalpa instabilella - None.  Being a saltmarsh species this isn't something I'd expect to see locally, but nevertheless I did get one in my garden trap in 2018.


Goosefoot Groundling Scrobipalpa atriplicella - One at the meadows on 25th May 2019 was very unexpected.  Until recently there was just a single old record from 1874 in Norfolk but then Graham Geen caught 2 in Methwold in 2017, followed by another 5 in 2018 and 29 (!) in 2019.  Another 3 recorders found the species at different locations in 2019 too, so it would seem that this species is undergoing a dramatic change in fortunes in Norfolk at least.

male Goosefoot Groundling Scrobipalpa atriplicella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

Winter Groundling Scrobipalpa costella - Singles here in the garden on 16th August 2019 and 19th October 2020.  I've recorded this species here twice before (2016 and 2018).  Also one at Tresidder in Cornwall in October 2020.

Winter Groundling Scrobipalpa costella, North Elmham, 16th August 2019

Narrow Groundling Caryocolum alsinella - One at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020 was a nice surprise, a new moth for me and only the 8th county record.

male Narrow Groundling Caryocolum alsinella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella - Caught in the garden on 1st and 4th August 2020 but not in 2019.  I've had it here on 4 occasions before.  Also one at the meadows on 4th August 2019 and 18th July and 7th August 2020.

male Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2019

male Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020

male Mouse-ear Groundling Caryocolum fraternella, North Elmham, 4th August 2020

Short-barred Groundling Caryocolum blandella - None.  I've never seen this species but although it's scarce there are a few records including in mid Norfolk, so I think there's a good chance it will turn up here (or at least at the meadows where there is plenty of Greater Stitchwort, its foodplant).


Three-colour Groundling Caryocolum tricolorella - One to light at Swanton Great Wood was my first ever of this species.

female Three-colour Groundling Caryocolum tricolorella, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019

Next page: more Gelechiidae

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Gelechiids (Gelechiidae) (Part 5: Groundlings - subfamily Gelechiinae I)

GELECHIIDS (GELECHIIDAE) (continued)


Subfamily GELECHIINAE


Dotted Grey Groundling Athrips mouffetella - One in the garden trap on 23rd July 2019 was my first for 3 years.  I've only seen this species here, twice in 2015 (probably involving one individual) and twice in 2016.

Dotted Grey Groundling Atrhips mouffetella, North Elmham, 23rd July 2019

White-shouldered Groundling Sophronia semicostella - None.  I've only ever seen this species in the Brecks which seems to be its stronghold in Norfolk, but there are widespread records elsewhere so it might crop up locally.


Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella - One in the garden trap on 8th September 2020, my third here following individuals in 2016 and 2018.

Gorse Groundling Mirificarma mulinella, North Elmham, 8th September 2020

Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella - One at the meadows on 30th June 2019, 2 in next-door's garden on 8th August and then singles in my own garden trap on 21st and 23rd August.  For a species that I'd only seen twice here before (in 2014 and 2015) that represents a pretty good showing.  2020 carried on good with 5 caught in the garden between 27th June and 21st August.

Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th June 2019

Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, North Elmham, 8th August 2019

Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, North Elmham, 21st August 2019

Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, North Elmham, 23rd August 2019

Dusky Groundlings Aroga velocella, North Elmham, 21st August 2020

Eastern Groundling Chionodes distinctella - 2 at Brancaster on 2nd July 2020, a new moth for me.

Eastern Groundlings Chionodes distinctella, Brancaster, 2nd July 2020

Humped Groundling Psoricoptera gibbosella - One to light at Swanton Great Wood on 27th August 2019 was a completely new moth for me.  As such I thought I would confirm the ID with reference to the genitalia, but as it turned out this was possible without dissection as its highly distinctive uncus was visible protruding from the end of the abdomen.  Even better in 2020 as I caught one in my own garden, on 24th July.

male Humped Groundling Psoricoptera gibbosella, Swanton Great Wood, 27th August 2019 - showing the uncus and valvae tips

male Humped Groundling Psoricoptera gibbosella, North Elmham, 24th July 2020

Next page: more Gelechiidae

Battered new moths for the year and a new beetle

Last Saturday night (12th May) produced a few moths with Flame Carpet, Spruce Carpet, 2 V-Pugs, Scalloped Hazel and White Ermine being new for the year.  It's always nice at this time of year when new species are appearing that you see them looking at their best, pristine fresh insects just emerged.  Well I don't know what's going on at the moment but they all seem to be coming out looking like they're on their last legs already.  Apart from the Spruce Carpet none of the above were especially smart, the V-Pugs and White Ermine were particularly well-worn already.

Flame Carpet, North Elmham, 12th May

Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 12th May

V-Pug, North Elmham, 12th May

Other moths were Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Common Pug, Brindled Pug, Double-striped Pug, Muslin Moth and Shuttle-shaped Dart.

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella, North Elmham, 12th May

A Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (a mayfly) was new for the year.

Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum, North Elmham, 12th May

It was a good night for caddisflies too.  The majority (11) were Limnephilus auricula but there were also Grammotaulius nigropunctatus and 2 Limnephilus sparsus, both new for the year.

Grammotaulius nigropunctatus (female), North Elmham, 12th May

Limnephilus sparsus (female top, male bottom), North Elmham, 12th May

Although it was a clear evening on Sunday the forecast promised it would cloud over at dusk so I thought it might be a good night for moths.  I should have learnt from last time and gone to the meadows before dark to see what was flying in the evening sunshine but instead went for the light-trapping option.  On arrival at dusk it was still clear and the forecast had pushed back the arrival time of the cloud, but it wasn't going to be long so I set up.  As I did so the forecast moved the cloud's arrival time back another hour and I could already feel the temperatures dropping.  I gave it a little time but there was hardly anything flying and the estimated arrival time of the cloud was still pushing back even later.  Instead of cloud, mist was forming, and just after 11pm I gave up with just 5 species of moths (most of which were seen in torchlight rather than coming to light).  They were Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Green Carpets, White-pinion Spotted, 4 Flame Shoulders and Powdered Quaker.

Flame Shoulder, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th May

Slightly better from my perspective was a new species of hoverfly for me, though a common one that I have almost certainly overlooked: Melanostoma mellinum.

Melanostoma mellinum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th May

A wander round with the headtorch resulted in the discovery of a few caterpillars which I believe are Common Footmen (at least on algae-covered fences) and a Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, on a rusty gate.

Common Footmen larvae, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th May

Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing larva, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 13th May

Unsurprisingly, not many moths in the trap at home either: just Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Common Pug, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Chocolate-tip and White Ermine. But there was a beetle that I haven't identified before, Leistus rufomarginatus (but see edit below).

Edit 2nd June: hmm, maybe this beetle isn't Leistus after all.  I've just attempted to key out another beetle which also keyed to Leistus rufomarginatus, but I noticed it was a little on the large side for this species and looked again.  Seems what I thought were dilated mandibles and long palps may not have been quite enough to point to Leistus, as Nebria brevicollis was a better fit.  I haven't still got the specimen for this one to double-check but I think it's probably also Nebria brevicollis, not Leistus rufomarginatus and not a new species...

probable Nebria brevicollis (and probably not Leistus rufomarginatus as given before), North Elmham, 13th May

A new moth, a new waxfly, a new snail and three new flowers

Monday 30th April was a foul day, wet and windy all day.  I didn't venture out and, extremely unusually for me I didn't even open any windows.  Yet I did record a moth inside the house, my first Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella of the year.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 30th April

There were no moths in the trap that night and only 4 on 1st May, but these included my first Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella of the year, and Muslin Moth and 2 Hebrew Characters.

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

Waxflies can be frustrating as so many of them turn out to be female Conwentzia sp., a duo that can't definitely be told from one another (although the number of antennal segments has been suggested as a character).  But they have reaped rewards and I've had two new species for Norfolk here so I always check them.  On this occasion it was just another Conwentzia, but for the first time this one was a male, so my first fully-identified Conwentzia psociformis.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

I headed back to the Cathedral Meadows first thing on 2nd and added Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella to the site moth list (one in each tetrad).

 Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

I returned in the evening and found 3 Red-brindled Dwarfs Elachista rufocinerea flying around the meadows.

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufochinerea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

As it turned dark I found my first macro moth for the site, a Water Carpet.  I also found Common Striped Woodlouse, Tree Slug and this snail which at the time I identified as Pelucid Glass Snail Vitrina pellucida.  I know realise this ID was incorrect, though I'm not entirely sure what it was (updated November 2019).

unidentified snail, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Common Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

A couple of wildlfowers are species I hadn't previously identified, though I think they're both very common: Three-nerved Sandwort and Meadow Saxifrage.  A third new species was the naturalised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Three-nerved Sandwort, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Meadow Saxifrage, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Are these Sulphur Tufts?

Sulphur Tuft?, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

The temperature was falling rapidly so it was no surprise to find few moths in the trap at home - just 3 Hebrew Characters in fact.

Next day the Large Red-belted Clearwing lure attracted the hoverfly Parasyrphus punctulatus, new for the year.

Parasyrphus punctulatus, North Elmham, 3rd May

That night saw Lesser Swallow Prominent and 2 Swallow Prominents, both new for the year, along with Early Thorn, Muslin Moth, Clouded Drab and Hebrew Character.

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 3rd May

Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 3rd May

Lesser Swallow Prominent (left) and Swallow Prominent (right), North Elmham, 3rd May

This Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus was my first caddisfly of the year.

Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, North Elmham, 3rd May