Pammene fasciana

An Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana was among 76 species of moths at home on 17th July.  Although not listed as a confusion species they look a lot like Cydia splendana to my eyes and I nearly passed it off as such.  Pammene fasciana wasn't on my radar so when I put this to one side thinking it looked a little odd I was still pretty sure it would turn out to be splendana.  Even after taking a closer look I nearly let it go as such but there was just enough niggling doubt to keep hold of it until I'd checked references.  Glad I did as although it seems to be a fairly common and widespread species it was my first Pammene fasciana - assuming I've haven't passed others off as splendana in the past.

Acorn Piercer Pammene fasciana, North Elmham, 17th July

I was intrigued by a couple of large plainly marked Cnephasia and on dissecting them they turned out to be Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana.  Well actually one of them alone I would have struggled to confidently rule out Cnephasia pasiuana which, although requiring gen detting for confirmation, is actually pretty tough to separate even then - or at least it seems to be from the information I have access to.  In the end I settled on pumicana for both, which was a pleasing enough result as there are no previous records from this part of the county.

Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th July

Also new for the year for the house was Round-winged Drill Dichrorampha simpliciana.

Round-winged Drill Dicrhorampha simpliciana, North Elmham, 17th July

Nice to see a migrant - everyone else has been getting lots but I've had very few this summer.  But a Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella was a start.

Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella, North Elmham, 17th July

The other micros were 8 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Burdock Neb Metzneria lappella, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Red-barred Tortrices Ditula angustiorana, Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, 6 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 11 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 2 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella and 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th July

Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th July

Among the macros Small Emerald was the only addition to the year list. The other macros were 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Single-dotted Wave, 8 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Barred Yellow, July Highflyer, Double-striped Pug, 3 Scalloped Oaks, Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawkmoth, Elephant Hawkmoth, 4 Buff-tips, 3 Yellow-tails, 6 Rosy Footmen, 3 Dingy Footmen, 3 Scarce Footmen, Buff Footman, 51 Common Footmen, 7 Buff Ermines, 5 Heart and Darts, 3 Double Square-spots, 2 Nutmegs, 2 Dot Moths, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Brown-line Bright-eye, 6 Clays, 5 Smoky Wainscots, Brown Rustic, Dun-bar, 12 Dark Arches, 5 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, Ear Moth, 18 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, 2 Burnished Brasses, 2 Spectacles, 2 Snouts and 6 Fan-foots. 

Dot Moth, North Elmham, 17th July

Dun-bar, North Elmham, 17th July

Lesser Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th July