Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Ermines (Yponomeutidae) (part 2: Swammerdamia complex, Cedestis and Ocnerostoma)

ERMINES (YPONOMEUTIDAE) (continued)


Copper-tipped Ermine Pseudoswammerdamia combinella - Singles in my garden moth trap on 1st June 2019 and 27th May 2020 were only my second and third records ever (first was here in May 2015).

Copper-tipped Ermine Pseudoswammerdamia combinella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

Copper-tipped Ermine Pseudoswammerdamia combinella, North Elmham, 27th May 2020

Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella - One in the garden trap on 30th July 2020.  I've only recorded this species twice before at home, in 2016 and 2018 - surprisingly scarce for a common birch-feeding species (there is a birch in my front garden and huge one in next door's garden).  Although this is grade 2 it would take a very clear and fresh example to satisfy me the ID was correct without gen detting.

male Birch Ermine Swammerdamia caesiella, North Elmham, 30th July 2020

Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella - One at the meadows on 25th May 2019 and then 11 in my garden between 21st July and 8th August, the worst showing here four 4 years.  A more typical 25 in my garden between 16th July and 13th August 2020.  Although fresh examples can be straightforward I find I have to confirm a lot of these by gen detting.  Some of the other species in this group can show a slight purply or coppery sheen to their terminal cilia (including Paraswammerdamia nebulella for example) and worn pyrella can lose this altogether. Other characters don't seem to be very reliable either, at least on any but the freshest specimens.

Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 25th May 2019

male Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th July 2020

male Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th August 2020

male Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 11th August 2020

White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella - 4 trapped at home and one at the meadows between 5th June and 30th August 2019 making it my equal-best year for this species, but this was bettered in 2020 when I caught 6 in the garden and 3 at the meadows between 25th May and 19th August.  Beware worn nebulella which can look very white on the thorax - I gen det any that aren't fresh and obvious and sometimes get a surprise.

White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019

White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, North Elmham, 12th June 2020

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella - 10 trapped here between 23rd June and 25th July 2019 and 11 between 18th June and 31st July 2020.  Both fairly average years though well down on the 21 in 2018.

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 23rd June 2019

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 18th June 2020

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 30th June 2020

Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, North Elmham, 18th July 2020

Gold Pine Ermine Cedestis gysseleniella - one trapped in my garden on 25th July 2019, my second here following one in 2016.

Gold Pine Ermine Cedestis gysseleniella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Brown Pine Ermine Cedestis subfasciella - One at Bintree Wood on 13th June 2020 and singles in the garden on 5th and 15th August.  I'd only ever seen one before, in my garden in 2015.

Brown Pine Ermine Cedestis subfasciella, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020

Brown Pine Ermine Cedestis subfasciella, North Elmham, 15th August 2020

Grey Pine Ermine Ocnerostoma friesei - A worn one to LEDs at Hills and Holes on 21st May 2020, my second ever record (one at home in 2017).

male Grey Pine Ermine Ocnerostoma friesei, Hills and Holes, 21st May 2020

Next page: Ypsolophidae

Cydia servillana, 3rd for Norfolk

After the previous day's productive wander round the Cathedral Meadows I returned a little later in the evening on Saturday 19th May, and it was very worthwhile.  The clear highlight was a new moth for me, and a rare one at that, Sallow-shoot Piercer Cydia servillana.  This "Nationally Scarce" species has ony twice been recorded in Norfolk, at Dersingham in 2011 and Aldeby in 2017, so opposite ends of the county with mine now being right in the middle.  It was quite a distinctive-looking moth with beautiful pale blue reflections at the base and tips of the wings.

Sallow-shoot Piercer Cydia servillana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

I netted 3 moths that at first I thought were Dichrorampha species, most likely Dichrorampha plumbana like the one I'd seen the day before, but they all proved to be Pea Moths Cydia nigricana.  I've only seen one of these before and had the same experience of thinking it was Dichrorampha at first.  Maybe I will learn for next time...

Pea Moth Cydia nigricana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

There were quite a few Carrion Moths Monopis weaverella netted and among them a single Skin Moth Monopis laevigella.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

Skin Moth Monopis laevigella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

Other moths included Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 8 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella, Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Dark-barred Tortrix Syndemis musculana, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 5 Green Carpets and Small Yellow Underwing.

Little Ermine Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

What at first I thought were going to be hoverflies turned out to be Face Flies Musca autumnalis.  I'm sure I must have seen these before but these were the first ones I've photographed and confirmed.  (Uptdate August 2019 - I probably have seen Face Flies before but these weren't they... I now think they were in fact Tachina fera.)

 Tachina fera, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

I eventually managed to name this beetle, a new one for me, Choleva agilis.  [2023 edit - clearly this was not Choleva agilis and I have no idea why I thought it was! (it was my early days of beetle identification...)  It's an Anaspis, frontalis probably.]

(not) Choleva agilis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

This soldier beetle Cantharis nigricans was with it.

Cantharis nigricans, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

A Shieldbug nymph turned out to be "just" a Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug).  An early/mid instar I think.

Forest Bug (Red-legged Shieldbug) early-mid instar nymph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

I have found keying out Andrena bees harder this year than I remember them being last year.  This one confused me at first but I eventually identified it as Buffish Mining Bee Andrena nigroaenea.  I couldn't see the ridges on the frons from above but on tilting the insect a bit they became visible.  A Buff-tailed Bumblebee was the only other bee I identified.

Buffish Mining Bee Andrena nigroaenea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 19th May

At home I found a Common Clothes Moth Tinola bisselliella, new for the year.

Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella, North Elmham, 19th May

The only moths new for the year in the trap that night were these 2 Buff-tips - high up on my list of favourite moths.

Buff-tips, North Elmham, 19th May

Otherwise it was a pretty poor showing with just Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Green Carpet, Common Pug, Scalloped Hazel, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 3 Flame Shoulders, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks and a Cockchafer.

Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, North Elmham, 19th May

A Mottled Pug was new for the year the following night but there wasn't much else: 3 Common Pugs, Poplar Hawk-moth, Lesser Swallow Prominent (so worn I had to gen det it to identify it), 3 White Ermines, 3 Muslin Moths, Heart and Dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Hebrew Character and Spectacle.

Mottled Pug, North Elmham, 20th May

A rush of moths

Bank Holiday Monday was nice at the meadows with a number of new species for the site recorded.  I counted at least 13 Large Red Damselflies and butterflies included 8 Orange-tips, 4 Brimstones, 2 Holly Blues, 2 Small Tortoiseshells and 3 Speckled Woods. Moths weren't especially well represented with just Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and another Vetch Piercer Grapholita jungiella.  There were Dark-edged Bee-flies and bees included Buff-tailed Bumblebee.

I haven't been using my new sweep net very much as it provides so much material I end up spending all my hours working through it all in my study and not having enough time to go outside - it's bad enough anyway!  This was exemplified today when a single sweep through some grass and Ground Ivy produced the bug Stenodema laevigata, the planthopper Javesella pellucida, a rove beetle Tachyporus sp. (probably Tachyporus hypnorum), a Pea-leaf Weevil Sitona lineatus and a spider Metellina mengei, the first time I've identified this species.

Javesella pellucida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Tachyporus sp., probably Tachyporus hypnorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Metellina mengei, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Among the flora, Greater Celandine was a new species for me.

Greater Celandine, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

Common Field Speedwell, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th May

That evening a White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella was new for the year (appearing in my study) while the moth trap delivered two more additions to the garden year list, Pebble Prominent and Flame Shoulder.

 White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, North Elmham, 7th May

Pebble Prominent, North Elmham, 7th May

Flame Shoulder, North Elmham, 7th May

The following night was remarkably good compared to recent nights, or indeed any night this year so far.  Surprisingly a couple of other moth-trappers I've spoken to didn't have the same experience but for me it was massive!  Ok, 45 moths of 25 species may not sound like an extroadinary catch, but no less than 14 of these were new for the year.  Bear in mind that I trap every night, new moths for the year tend to be fairly well spread out.  The best night for new additions so far this year was 21st April with 6, and these 14 increased my year-list by over 20% in one foul swoop.  More nights like this please!

The 14 additions to the garden year list were: Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Pearl Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, 3 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Chinese Character, Garden Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, 2 Common Pugs, Brimstone Moth, White-pinion Spotted, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 Orange Footmen, Cinnabar, Least Black Arches and 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts.

Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, North Elmham, 8th May

Pearl Dwarf Elachista apicipunctella, North Elmham, 8th May

Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, North Elmham, 8th May

Chinese Character, North Elmham, 8th May

Garden Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May

Grey Pine Carpet, North Elmham, 8th May

Common Pug, North Elmham, 8th May

Brimstone Moth, North Elmham, 8th May

White-pinion Spotted, North Elmham, 8th May

Coxcomb Prominent, North Elmham, 8th May

Orange Footman, North Elmham, 8th May

Cinnabar, North Elmham, 8th May

Least Black Arches, North Elmham, 8th May

Shuttle-shaped Dart, North Elmham, 8th May

The other moths caught that night were 2 Beech Midgets Phyllonorycter maestingella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 4 Brindled Pugs, 4 Waved Umbers, another 4 Chocolate-tips, 4 Muslin Moths, Hebrew Character and 3 Nut-tree Tussocks.

It was good for other insects too.  My first Mayfly of the year was a Large Dark Olive Baetis rhodani, actually a new species altogether for me, although I think some of my earlier attempts to identify mayflies were flawed so it may be that I've misidentified them in the past (I made a significant breakthrough with mayflies half way through last year when I realised how easy they were to sex).

Large Dark Olive Baetis rhodani (male imago), North Elmham, 8th May

Three species of caddisfly tripled my caddis year-list: Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Limnephilus affinis and 3 Limnephilus auricula.

Limnephilus affinis, North Elmham, 8th May

Limnephilus auricula, North Elmham, 8th May

Beetles included Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis, Black Sexton Beetle and my first Cantharis cryptica (one of the soldier-beetles) of the year.  Check out the suction pads on the underside of one of the Diving Beetles tarsal segments...

Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis, North Elmham, 8th May

Cantharis cryptica, North Elmham, 8th May