Four Leopards in the garden

When I started recording Rose Tortrix Archips rosana at Bawdeswell there were relatively few records in Norfolk, and most of them were from just 2-3 observers.  I added to the pattern recording quite a few while I was there, though I see that there are now quite a few more records from a greater variety of other people too.  I didn't get any at North Elmham last year despite there being far more roses in the immediate vicinity than there were at Bawdeswell.  This year they have appeared - starting with this one on 17th July.

Rose Tortrix Archips rosana, North Elmham, 17th July

The best macros that night were 4 Leopard Moths.  None of them were in the trap - 3 were in the grass or on the sheet round the trap in the evening and the fourth was on the side of the shed in the morning.

Leopard Moth, North Elmham, 17th July

Also new for the year were White Sallow Case-bearer Coleophora albidella, Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana and Small Scallop.

Small Scallop, North Elmham, 17th July

Burdock Conch Aethes rubigana, North Elmham, 17th July

White Sallow Case-bearer Coleophora albidella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 17th July

Overall there were significantly fewer moths than the night before, but 74 species wasn't all that bad (well, maybe quite bad for the peak of summer in reasonable conditions).  Other micros were Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, 3 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis cerasana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 2 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Red-barred Tortrix Ditula angustiorana, Grey Tortrix Cnephasia stephensiana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Water Veneers Acentria ephemerella, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 2 Ringed China-marks Parapoynx stratiotata, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Chequered Straw Evergestis pallidata, 2 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 3 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis and Bee Moth Aphomia sociella.

The other macros were Common Emerald, Small Emerald, Lesser Cream Wave, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 15 Riband Waves, Yellow Shell, Barred Yellow, Green Pug, Double-striped Pug, 3 Clouded Borders, 3 Early Thorns, 4 Scalloped Oaks, Willow Beauty, Engrailed, Common White Wave, 2 Clouded Silvers, Poplar Hawkmoth, Buff-tip, Brown-tail, 2 Rosy Footmen, 9 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, 29 Common Footmen, 18 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, 3 Flames, 2 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 7 Smoky Wainscots, 2 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, 14 Uncertains, Rustic, 5 Nut-tree Tussocks, Burnished Brass and 2 Snouts.

The caddisflies were quite good.  One species was new to me: Oecetis lacustris.

Oecetis lacustris (female), North Elmham, 17th July

Two apparently different female Hydropsyche were the trigger for my re-assessment of the ID I've been making of these.  Initially I had a male pellucidula among numerous females, which are harder to ID.  I struggled with these as they showed one feature that seemed to fit siltalai better but in other ways were unconvincing, and although I can't recall the details one day when I had two different examples I figured out that the majority had to be pellucidula - no doubt partly influenced by the ID of the male.  Well as time went on I became increasingly uncomfortable with this ID but all I was getting was females.  Eventually I got one or two male siltalai but it wasn't until 17th when I got two different females, one of which may well have really been pellucidula and the other, like the majority of the previous ones that it resembled, I'm now fairly convinced was siltalai.  I'm still not entirely clear on these though, and won't be submitting these records without taking expert advice. Externally they've all looked pretty similar, except the worn ones that haven't shown much pattern.

probable Hydropsyche siltalai (female), North Elmham, 17th July

Hydropsyche sp., possibly pellucidula (female), North Elmham, 17th July

There were also Ecnomus tenellus, Polycentropus flavomaculatus, Agrypnia pagetana, Athripsodes aterrimus, 3 Leptocerus tineiformis and 3 Mystacides longicornis.

Agrypnia pagetana (male), North Elmham, 17th July

Polycentropus flavomaculatus (male), North Elmham, 17th July

Ecnomus tenellus (female), North Elmham, 17th July

Athripsodes aterrimus (female), North Elmham, 17th July

Mystacides longicornis (female), North Elmham, 17th July

Other things included Green Drake (Mayfly) Ephemera danica (and a Cloeon/Procloeon sp. that I can't identify) and a Summer Chafer.