Rough-winged Conch (Phtheochroa rugosana)

In my lunch break on Monday 13th June I popped in to Whin Hill quarry, a small abandoned quarry that is often good for insects.  I have visited this site maybe 3-4 times a year over the last decade and never had the impression that anyone else goes in there before.  This time I found evidence of recent use - discarded food & drink wrappers lying around and vast numbers of spent gun cartridges.

I didn't have long this time but 3 moths recorded: Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana, Olive Pearl Udea olivalis and Cinnabar.  Also something I'd never seen before: the larva of a Bloody-nosed Beetle.

Bloody-nosed Beetle larva, Whin Hill, 13th June

For the second night running my moth trap delivered a striking tortrix moth that I'd never seen before.  This time it was the long-awaited Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana.  Quite a commonly recorded species so surprising that it has taken me this long to see, but fittingly splendid for a milestone moth - my 1000th species in the UK.

Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana, North Elmham, 13th June

New for the year here were Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Small Dusty Wave and Sharp-angled Carpet.

Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, North Elmham, 13th June

Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, North Elmham, 13th June

Sharp-angled Carpet, North Elmham, 13th June

Other moths recorded were 11 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 2 Common Swifts, Figure of Eighty, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Mottled Pug, Common Pug, 5 Scorched Wings, Scalloped Hazel, Willow Beauty, Pale Oak Beauty, Clouded Silver, 2 Light Emeralds, Elephant Hawkmoth, Swallow Prominent, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, 2 Pale Tussocks, Common Footman, 3 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, Least Black Arches, Heart and Dart, 2 Flames, Flame Shoulder, Ingrailed Clay, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shears, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Brown Rustics, 17 Treble Lines, 2 Spectacles and 3 Straw Dots.

Figure of Eighty, North Elmham, 13th June

Elephant Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 13th June

Mayflies continued to give me headaches.  This one shows several features of Lake Olive Cloeon simile but some features don't tie up with that ID so I'm really not sure.

possible Lake Olive Cloeon simile, North Elmham, 13th June

Caddisflies included Ecnomus tenellus, Limnephilus auricula and Limnephilus vittatus.

Ecnomus tenellus (female), North Elmham, 13th June

The following night was poor by comparison.  What was very probably the same Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana turned up in the trap but asides from that there were just 39 moths of 21 species: Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Common Swifts, Common Marbled Carpet, Sharp-angled Carpet, Foxglove Pug, Clouded Border, Peppered Moth, Orange Footman, 3 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Shears, Lychnis, Common Wainscot, 10 Treble Lines, Mottled Rustic, Spectacle and Straw Dot.

Rough-winged Conch Phtheochroa rugosana, North Elmham, 14th June