Green Arches

There were fewer than 40 species of moth at home on the night of 28th June but one of them was stunning and unexpected!  A Green Arches.  Like the one we had at Hedenham Wood earlier in the month it was a fresh and bright specimen, unlike either of the Green Arches I'd seen before.  The first time I've ever seen this species in my own garden.

Green Arches, North Elmham, 28th June

A Small Emerald was the only other moth added to the garden year list that night, the other macros being Ghost Moth, Treble Brown Spot, 4 Riband Waves, Grey Pug, 2 Clouded Borders, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, Peppered Moth, 7 Willow Beauties, Light Emerald, Common Footman, White Ermine, 8 Buff Ermines, 3 Cinnabars, Heart and Club, Heart and Dart, Flame, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Pale-shouldered Brocade, Bright-line Brown-eye, 2 Tawny Marbled Minors, Middle-barred Minor, Uncertain, 2 Burnished Brasses and 6 Snouts.

Small Emerald, North Elmham, 28th June

Micros consisted of Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, 6 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata and Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla.

Other insects new for the year were Brown Chafer and the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus.  Caddisflies included Limnephilus marmoratus and a Hydropsyche sp.  I think I've been misidentifying some of these so I'll leave it as sp. for now, and until I get round to correcting them please ignore any past records of Hydropsyche perlucidalis - I think the females (which are the majority) were siltalai.

Brown Chafer, North Elmham, 28th June

The following evening saw a slight increase in moth species, including 4 new for the year: Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, Codling Moth Cydia pomonella and Light Arches.

Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, North Elmham, 29th June

Codling Moth Cydia pomonella, North Elmham, 29th June

Flax Tortrix Cnephasia asseclana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 29th June

Light Arches, North Elmham, 29th June

The other moths were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Yellow-spot Tortrix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 6 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 7 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 4 Riband Waves, Common Carpet, Barred Straw, Lime-speck Pug, Currant Pug, Common Pug, Green Pug, Clouded Border, 2 Scorched Wings, 2 Peppered Moths, 4 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, Common White Wave, Clouded Silver, Eyed Hawkmoth, Common Footman, 10 Buff Ermines, Heart and Dart, Flame, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 3 Double Square-spots, Poplar Grey, 5 Dark Arches, 3 Uncertains, 2 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 2 Straw Dots, 9 Snouts and Small Fan-foot.

 Yellow-spot Tortix Pseudargyrotoza conwagana, North Elmham, 29th June

Eyed Hawkmoth, North Elmham, 29th June

Limnephilus lunatus and Limpnephilus auricula represented the caddsiflies and a Garden Bumble Bee in the trap was also new for the year here.

Garden Bumble Bee, North Elmham, 29th June