Spruce Bud Moth

2nd August was another good night.  A couple of moths were species I have rarely seen before:  Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella was only my second while the scarce Spruce Bud Moth Zeiraphere ratzeburgiana was my third.

Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Spruce Bud Moth Zeiraphera ratzburgiana, North Elmham, 2nd August

2 White-triangle Buttons Acleris holmiana were new for the year.

White-triangle Buttons Acleris holmiana, North Elmham, 2nd August

Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella and Scalloped Hook-tip were also new for the year for home.

 Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Scalloped Hook-tip, North Elmham, 2nd August

This Dotted Grey Groundling Athrips mouffetella was suspiciously similar to the one I trapped a couple of nights earlier - I guess it was the same individual.

Dotted Grey Groundling Athrips mouffetella, North Elmham, 2nd August

This Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella wasn't the same as the one I had recently.

Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, North Elmham, 2nd August

An excellent selection of micros also included Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, 5 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Meadow Case-bearer Coleophora mayrella, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 2 Dark Groundlings Bryotropha affinis, 4 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Marbled Cosmet Mompha propinquella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Holly Tortrices Rhopobota naevana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 46 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 28 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Chequered Grass-veneers Catoptria falsella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, 3 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula stagnata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 9 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 5 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella and 5 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella.

 Marbled Cosmet Mompha propinquella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, North Elmham, 2nd August

 Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, North Elmham, 2nd August

Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, North Elmham, 2nd August

The rest of the macros were 2 Chinese Characters, Blood-vein, Least Carpet, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 7 Single-dotted Waves, 15 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Shaded Broad-bar, Yellow Shell, Barred Straw, July Highflyer, Small Rivulet, Slender Pug, Double-striped Pug, 4 Brimstone Moths, Purple Thorn, Willow Beauty, Coxcomb Prominent, Yellow-tail, Black Arches, 3 Rosy Footmen, 9 Dingy Footmen, 3 Scarce Footmen, 12 Common Footmen, Buff Ermine, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 7 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Double Square-spot, 3 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Dark Arches, 2 Cloaked Minors, 8 Common Rustics, Dusky Sallow, 8 Uncertains, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Spectacle and Snout.

 Slender Pug, North Elmham, 2nd August

I'm still trying to sort out how to identify Agonopterix ciliella.  I thought this one was a good candidate being large and dark, though it lacked much in the way of pinkish tones underneath (just a bit on the legs).

 Agonopterix sp., North Elmham, 2nd August

The hindwing showed a very strong pink flush to the cilia around the apex and five fusous bars through the cilia.  Not as distinct as some ciliella can be and so still not a firm ID, but at this point it's looking hopeful.

 Agonopterix sp., North Elmham, 2nd August

The genitalia are very similar to the very much commoner heracliana, but there are supposed to be differences.  To me this one's bits look exactly the same as every other male Agonopterix heracliana I've examined.  So either it was heracliana, or the genitalia of ciliella are harder to separate than various texts suggest.  I await a clear and undisputable ciliella to compare, but in the meantime am increasingly suspicious about how accurately a lot of records of ciliella have been identified.

 Agonopterix sp., North Elmham, 2nd August

One curious thing if this was just a Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana is that of all the ones I've examined (scores now) the large dark ones have also been the ones with the best looking hindwings.  But I'm yet to find one with 5-6 really obvious dark fuscous bars on the cilia... maybe when I do I'll be able to spot the differences in the genitalia.