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.

Thursday, 22 June 2017

Bedstraw bonanza

Dave and I headed up to the dunes in the afternoon of 29th May.  We saw a variety of moths in the west of the dunes including Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, 2 Diamond-back Moths Plutella xylostella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Silver-ground Carpet, Yellow Shell, Purple Bar, Yellow Belle, 3 Cinnabars, Straw Dot and Snout. Also the green Lacewing Chrysopa commata and both Bee Orchid and Pyramidal Orchids starting to flower.

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), Burnham Overy, 29th May


In the east dunes we found Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus, 2 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Beautiful Groundling Caryocolum marmorea, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Yellow-faced Bells Notocelia cynosbatella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Meadow Grey Scoparia pyralella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Common Carpet, 2 Purple Bars, 3 Green Carpets and 2 Cinnabars.

Sandy Long-horn Nematopogon schwarziellus, Burnham Overy, 29th May


In Holkham Pines we found London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Green Carpets, Scorched Carpet, 3 Brown Silver-lines and Straw Dot.

I'm not allowed to say where we went to look for Bedstraw Hawk-moths, but after finding a Hummingbird Hawk-moth feeding on honeysuckle we decided this would be a good spot to look for other hawkmoths.  Indeed it proved as before long we found ourselves watching the target Bedstraw Hawk-moth - and then a second and then a third!  The area was also visited by a Small Elephant Hawk-moth briefly.  Fabulous!  Later on 3 White Ermines rounded off the evening's mothing.


Hummingbird Hawk-moth, 29th May






Bedstraw Hawk-moths, 29th May


Moth of the night at home was Treble-spot Tubic Telechrysis tripuncta, my first here and one that's only been recorded in the county about 20 times.

Treble-spot Tubic Telechrysis tripuncta, North Elmham, 29th May


Other additions to the garden year list were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, Treble Brown Spot, Green Pug, 2 Willow Beauties, Elephant Hawk-moth, Lychnis, Small Angle Shades and Marbled White Spot.

Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, North Elmham, 29th May


Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, North Elmham, 29th May


Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, North Elmham, 29th May


Treble Brown Spot, North Elmham, 29th May


Green Pug, North Elmham, 29th May


Willow Beauty, North Elmham, 29th May


Elephant Hawk-moth, North Elmham, 29th May


Lychnis, North Elmham, 29th May


Small Angle Shades, North Elmham, 29th May


Marbled White Spot, North Elmham, 29th May


A total of 36 Treble Lines was more than double my previous highest count.  Other moths trapped were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 2 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella, Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 2 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 4 Common Swifts, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Spruce Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, May Highflyer, Sandy Carpet, 3 Mottled Pugs, Currant Pug, 8 Common Pugs, Oak-tree Pug, 3 Scorched Wings, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Hazel, Peppered Moth, Common White Wave, 5 Light Emeralds, 2 Pale Tussocks, 3 Orange Footmen, 3 White Ermines, Heart and Dart, 2 Ingrailed Clays, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Shears, Common Wainscot, Rustic Shoulder-knot, 3 Brown Rustics, Marbled Minor, 2 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle and 9 Straw Dots.  Caddisflies were Hydropsyche pellucidula, Glyphotaelius pellucidus and 2 Limnephilus auricula.

Crescent Bell Epinotia bilunana, North Elmham, 29th May


Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 29th May


May Highflyer, North Elmham, 29th May

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