Cherry Midget

Tuesday 4th July was a reasonably good night for moths here with over 400 moths of 98 species.  Last year's peak of 153 and 154 species on consecutive nights seems like a dream compared to this year's paltry performance.  The best of the 98 was a lifer, Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella, although I had seen at least one of the aggregate species pair spinicolella/cerasicolella before.  Interestingly this one didn't seem to have dark tips to the antennae as both spinicolella and cerasicolella are supposed to but unless I've missed something the female genitalia of the two are quite distinctive (compared to other Phyllonorycters - not so distinctive from one another but do-able).

Cherry Midget Phyllonorycter cerasicolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

One other moth was new for the garden - Ochreous Pearl Anania crocealis.

Ochreous Pearl Anania crocealis, North Elmham, 4th July

A Small Rush Case-bearer Coleophora taeniipennella was only my second (my first was here last July).

Small Rush Case-bearer Coleophora taeniipennella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

Also new for the year here were White-headed Ermel Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Brown-tail, 2 Yellow-tails, Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Dun-bar, Clouded Brindle, Common Rustic and Cream-bordered Green Pea.

White-headed Ermel Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, North Elmham, 4th July

Base-lined Grey Scoparia basistrigalis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, North Elmham, 4th July

Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, North Elmham, 4th July

Brown-tail, North Elmham, 4th July

Broad-bordered Yellow Umderwing, North Elmham, 4th July

Clouded Brindle, North Elmham, 4th July

Common Rustic (male, gen det), North Elmham, 4th July

Cream-bordered Green Pea, North Elmham, 4th July

The others were Fulvous Clothes Moth Tinea semifulvella, Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, 20 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella, 2 Triple-spot Dwarfs Elachista maculicerusella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, 2 Burdock Nebs Metzneria lappella, Gorse Crest Brachmia blandella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, 12 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, 2 Dark Fruit-tree Tortrixes Pandemis heparana, 5 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, 3 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 7 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 3 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, 4 Marbled Orchard Tortrixes Hedya nubiferana, 3 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, White-foot Bell Epiblema foenella, 5 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 31 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Grass-veneer Crambus pascuella, 3 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 3 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis, 17 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 2 Common Plumes Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Chinese Characters, Common Emerald, Blood-vein, Small Blood-vein, 10 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 10 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Yellow Shell, Phoenix, Barred Straw, Blue-bordered Carpet, Small Rivulet, 3 V-Pugs, 2 Double-striped Pugs, 2 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, 8 Early Thorns, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 3 Clouded Silvers, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, Buff-tip, Round-winged Muslin, 8 Rosy Footmen, 8 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 51 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Short-cloaked Moth, Heart and Club, 3 Flames, 5 Double Square-spots, 2 Brown-line Bright Eyes, 9 Clays, 13 Smoky Wainscots, 3 Dark Arches, 52 Uncertains, 2 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot and 3 Fan-foots.

Long-winged Pearl Anania lancealis, North Elmham, 4th July

Blue-bordered Carpet, North Elmham, 4th July

As usual when there are a lot of moths, there was a good variety of other insects (and a Common Frog).  Mayflies were represented by Serratella ignita while Lacewings consisted of a female Conwentzia sp. (a waxfly - only male Conwentzia can be identified to species level) and the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.  Caddisflies included Hydropsyche pellucidula and my second Silo pallipes.  Bugs consisted of 2 Stenotus binotatus and 5 Iassus lanio (leafhopper), the latter new for the year.

Iassus lanio, North Elmham, 4th July

Among the beetles I identified Enochrus quadripunctatus for the first time ever, 2 Aphodius rufipes, 2 Brown Chafers, Rhagonycha fulva, Orange Ladybird (new for the year) and 2 Lagria hirta.

Enochrus quadripunctatus, North Elmham, 4th July