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.

Tuesday 6 June 2017

Common by name, uncommon by nature (oehlmanniella)

This is the Garden Chafer I found in the garden on Friday 23rd May.

Garden Chafer, North Elmham, 23rd May


A few moths at Ryburgh included Yellow-barred Long-horn Nemophora degeerella, 3 Common Nettle-taps Anthophila fabriciana, 2 Cocksfoot Moths Glyphipterix simpliciella and presumed Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet.  Beetles included Cantharis decipiens.

Back at home I found this small weevil in my study - it turned out to be Kalcapion pallipes.

Kalcapion pallipes, North Elmham, 23rd May


A Common Frog in the garden was my first here this year.  They sometimes sit round the moth trap, presumably in the hope of a tasty moth landing close by.  The highlight among the moths the frog didn't eat was a lifer, Common Bright Incurvaria oehlmanniella.  However it didn't increase my garden list as it took the place of a previous unidentified Incurvaria sp. which I had (in the light of this perhaps wrongly) presumed was likely to be Incurvaria masculella.  Despite oehlmanniella's common name, masculella is far commoner in my experience - just not in my garden.

Common Bright Incurvaria oehlmanniella, North Elmham, 23rd May


Several other moths were new for the year, namely Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Spruce Carpet, Common Wave, Buff Ermine, Marbled Minor and Buttoned Snout. The last of those was my second here following one in 2015; more surprisingly Spruce Carpet was also my first here since 2015.

Buttoned Snout, North Elmham, 23rd May


Spruce Carpet, North Elmham, 23rd May


Yarrow Conch Aethes smeathmanniana, North Elmham, 23rd May


False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd May


Common Wave, North Elmham, 23rd May


Marbled Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 23rd May


Other moths were Ribwort Slender Aspilapteryx tringipennella, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Yellow-faced Bell Notocelia cynosbatella, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, Chinese Character, Flame Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Garden Carpet, 3 Green Carpets, Mottled Pug, 7 Common Pugs, 6 Brimstone Moths, 3 Waved Umbers, 2 White-pinion Spotteds, Light Emerald, Eyed Hawk-moth, Coxcomb Prominent, Pale Prominent, Orange Footman, 8 White Ermines, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Shears, Brown Rustic and 4 Treble Lines.

Orange Footman, North Elmham, 23rd May


Shears, North Elmham, 23rd May


There was only one caddisfly in the trap but it was a new one for the house: Plectrocnemia conspersa.

Plectrocnemia conspersa (male), North Elmham, 23rd May


A Procloeon bifidum (type of Mayfly) was new for the year.

Procloeon bifidum, North Elmham, 23rd May

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