Description


A diary of my mothing activity covering highlights and photos from my moth trapping activities. Mainly Norfolk (UK), occasionally beyond. I may mention other wildlife sightings here, especially insects, but for birds see my birding diary.

Friday, 26 August 2016

Even more! 153 species (209 over 2 nights)

Yesterday I posted about the amazing night of 23rd July when I recorded 152 species of moth in my garden trap including no less than 5 lifers.  Well 24th July was even better, sort of.  Not better in total number of moths ('only' 600, the main difference being in the number of Water Veneers, down from 250 to zero).  Not better in the number of lifers - not a single new moth for me on 24th July.  But better in the number of species - up one to 153 species!  Interestingly there was quite a big difference in the make-up of that 153 compared to the 152 the night before - over the two nights combined there were an incredible 209 species.

So, 24th July, no lifers but several new for the house.  Perhaps best was a Bluebell Shades Eana incanana.  This is a species I first encountered on my first ever Norfolk Moth Survey event, at Weston Park in 2011.  That night we recorded around 50 Eana incanana, remarkable as there had been just two singles recorded in the county beforehand.  There were half a dozen further records in 2011 and 2012, including some at another NMS event that I attended, but since then they've gone quiet again - no more records in the database at the moment.

Bluebell Shades Eana incanana (female, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July


The others that were new for the house were Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella, 2 Body-marked Case-bearers Coleophora clypeiferella, Larch Tortrix Ptycholomoides aeriferana and 2 Orange-spotted Shoots Rhyacionia pinicolana.

Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella, North Elmham, 24th July



Orange-spotted Shoots Rhyacionia pinicolana, North Elmham, 24th July


Larch Tortrix Ptycholomoides aerifaerana, North Elmham, 24th July


Body-marked Case-bearer Coleophora clypeiferella, North Elmham, 24th July


Others new for the year were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Daisy Bent-wing Bucculatrix nigricomella, 2 New Oak Slenders Caloptilia robustella, 4 Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, Buff-marked Neb Monochroa lucidella, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Dark Umber, Purple Thorn, Nutmeg, Coronet, 2 Straw Underwings and Dotted Fan-foot.


Golden Argents Argyresthia goedartella, North Elmham, 24th July



 New Oak Slenders Caloptilia robustella (female & male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July


Buff-marked Neb Monochroa lucidella, North Elmham, 24th July


Daisy Bent-wing Bucculatrix nigricomella, North Elmham, 24th July


Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, North Elmham, 24th July


Coronet, North Elmham, 24th July


Straw Underwing, North Elmham, 24th July


Nutmeg, North Elmham, 24th July


Dark Umber, North Elmham, 24th July


Other highlights among the micros included 11 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi, 2 Dull Red Groundlings Bryotropha senectella, Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella and Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella.

Brown Powdered Knot-horn Delplanqueia inscriptella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July


Bulrush Veneer Calamotropha paludella, North Elmham, 24th July


Pale Thistle Case-bearer Coleophora peribenanderi (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July


The remaining micros were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Beech Midget Phyllonorycter maestingella, 21 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Little Ermel Swammerdamia pyrella, Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Tipped Oak Case-bearer Coleophora flavipennella, Speckled Case-bearer Coleophora sternipennella, New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, 5 Golden-brown Tubics Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, 3 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, 3 Dark Groundlings Bryotropha affinis, 3 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 3 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, 3 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 3 Bulrush Cosmets Limnaecia phragmitella, 2 Hawthorn Cosmets Blastodacna hellerella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 3 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, Timothy Tortrix Aphelia paleana, 4 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, 6 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 5 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, 2 Holly Tortrixes Rhopobota naevana, 3 Common Cloaked Shoots Gypsonoma dealbana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 2 Bud Moths Spilonota ocellana, 4 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 7 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, 21 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Chequered Straws Evergestis pallidata, 3 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 16 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 5 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 2 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Ash-bark Knot-horn Euzophera pinguis, White Plume Pterophorus pentadactyla and 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla.

The species count was assisted by the 3 Marbled Minor aggs. all proving to be different - single Marbled, Tawny Marbled and Rufous Minors.  The same wasn't true of the Daggers: despite one being darker than the other, both proved to be Grey Daggers.

Grey Daggers (males, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July


Other macros were Pebble Hook-tip, Common Emerald, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 11 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 4 Single-dotted Waves, 25 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Shaded Broad-bars, Yellow Shell, 6 Small Rivulets, Currant Pug, V-Pug, Green Pug, Double-striped Pug, 6 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 5 Early Thorns, 11 Scalloped Oaks, Swallow-tailed Moth, 2 Peppered Moths, Willow Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, Common Wave, 3 Clouded Silvers, Poplar Hawkmoth, 3 Elephant Hawkmoths, Iron Prominent, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, 4 Yellow-tails, 2 Black Arches, Round-winged Muslin, 38 Rosy Footmen, 31 Dingy Footmen, 7 Scarce Footmen, 2 Buff Footmen, 55 Common Footmen, 2 Buff Ermines, 4 Ruby Tigers, 2 Flames, Flame Shoulder, 4 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, 10 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 11 Clays, 11 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 8 Dark Arches, Slender Brindle, 4 Cloaked Minors, 5 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, 4 Dusky Sallows, Fen Wainscot, 34 Uncertains, 6 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, Nut-tree Tussock, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, 3 Straw Dots, 4 Snouts and Fan-foot.

Fen Wainscot, North Elmham, 24th July


Green Lacewings consisted of Cunctochrysa albolineata and Dichochrysa flavifrons and a Brown Lacewing proved to be my first confirmed Micromus variegatus - quite a distinctive species by Lacewing standards.

Micromus variegatus, North Elmham, 24th July


I had to put a break on the caddisflies for a bit.  So many moths to sort out and not enough hours in the days and nights to do all the caddisflies as well.

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