Dark Spinach and Phyllonorycter corylifoliella

My last post referred to a mid-August lull and 17th August was still in that lull with relatively few moths.  But one of them was a Dark Spinach, a lifer for me, so I wasn't complaining.

Dark Spinach, North Elmham, 17th August

Other species recorded that night were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 2 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 4 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Pale Straw Pearls Udea lutealis, 4 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, 2 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Maple Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, Brimstone Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Coxcomb Prominent, Black Arches, Ruby Tiger, 2 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 3 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Small Square-spots, Square-spot Rustic, 7 Flounced Rustics, Rustic, Silver Y, Spectacle and 10 Straw Dots.

 Maple Pug (female, gen det), North Elmham, 17th August

Several wasps in the trap too, at least one of which was Common Wasp.

The following night produced Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, 2 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, Orange Swift, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, 3 Common Carpets, 2 Brimstone Moths, Ruby Tiger, 5 Flame Shoulders, 6 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Flounced Rustics, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, 11 Straw Dots and Snout.

For the first time in a while I took a closer look at some of the caddis in the trap, partly because I could see straight away that one of them was new for the year.  It's such a distinctive species that I had identified them in previous years without the use of a key, but having said that there are a couple of quite similar species so it was good to confirm one properly now - Athripsodes albifrons.

Athripsodes albifrons (female), North Elmham, 18th August

The other caddis I retained proved to be male Hydropsyche siltalai and female Polycentropus irroratus.  I had thought I'd identified the latter species early on in the year but subsquently decided it had been Polycentropus flavomaculatus, as all the subsequent ones I checked seemed to be flavomaculatus too.  They're not easy, so possible I have made mistakes with some, but I had a very careful look at this one's subgenital plate having thoroughly cleaned it in potassium hydroxide, and am satisfied it was irroratus.

Polycentropus irroratus (female), North Elmham, 18th August

This leafhopper is a Kybos sp. but I'm not sure I can positively say which one.  I suspect Kybos betulicola.

Kybos sp., probably Kybos betulicola, North Elmham, 18th August

The highlight on 19th August was my first Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella.  It's actually a very common species with loads of records of its leafmines, but adults are a little harder to find.

 Hawthorn Midget Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 19th August

Other moths that night were Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 7 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 5 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Chalk Knot-horn Phycitodes maritima, Orange Swift, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Common Carpets, Small Rivulet, Wormwood Pug, Tawny Speckled Pug, 2 Brimstone Moths, Black Arches, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, 4 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Straw Underwing, Common Rustic, 5 Flounced Rustics and 14 Straw Dots. Earlier in the day there had been a Silver Y feeding in the garden.

There were still only 30 species on 20th August, but these included 3 new for the year so I guess that was a sign of things improving.  Those were Wainscot Smudge Ypsolopha scabrella, Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis and Mouse Moth.

Wainscot Smudge Yposolopha scabrella, North Elmham, 20th August

Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis, North Elmham, 20th August

Mouse Moth, North Elmham, 20th August

The others that night were 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 12 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Elbow-stripe Grass-veneers Agriphila geniculea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small China-mark Cataclysta lemnata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pebble Hook-tip, Riband Wave, Common Carpet, Brimstone Moth, Swallow Prominent, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 5 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, 8 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spotted Clay, Six-striped Rustic, Square-spot Rustic, 2 Lesser Common Rustics, Flounced Rustic, Spectacle and 7 Straw Dots.