hannoverella and dodecella

My first garden Meadow Brown of the year was on 22nd June, along with a Common Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana.  That night the best moth in the trap was a New Poplar Pigmy Ectoedemia hannoverella - a new species for me (or so I thought - read on for a 2018 edit).  Some seem to frown upon even attempting to identify Stigmella/Ectoedemia species in adulthood (the leafmines are generally much easier) but this one keyed out quite smoothly and the genitalia were spot on.  There aren't any records of adults in Norfolk and compared to other Nepticulidae I've identitfied not all that many records of leafmines either.  Most records are from the Brecks and the Fens with just one record from Dereham being relatively close.  However, it's a recent arrival to the UK and is spreading so I shouldn't be surprised if they're all over the county before long.

New Poplar Pigmy Ectoedemia hannoverella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd June - or not: see below*

* Edit 2018: OK, there's a reason why as I said above some frown upon attempting to identify these in adulthood.  I got a bit suspicious after having two more in 2017 and another in 2018 which seems a lot for a Poplar-feeding species given the distance from here to the nearest Poplars.  Having looked into it a bit more it now seems possible - indeed likely - that they are not hannoverella but Spotted Black Pigmies Ectoedemia subbimaculella.  I cannot rule out hannoverella, nor the Holm-Oak species heringella as both the external appearance and the genitalia are very similar between all 3 species, but as there is an Oak tree close by (subbimaculella feeds on Oak) and no Poplar or Holm-Oak very close I think subbimaculella is most likely.  Not entirely sure why I overlooked this as a possibility - probably because most of the photos online show much better patterned individuals than any of mine.

A Pine Groundling Exoteleia dodecella was new for the house and only the third time I've seen this species.

Pine Groundling Exoteleia dodecella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd June

New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, Light Arches and Rufous Minor were new for the year.

New Tawny Tubic Batia lunaris, North Elmham, 22nd June

Light Arches, North Elmham, 22nd June

Rufous Minor (male, gen det), North Elmham, 22nd June

An Eastern Case-bearer Coleophora vestianella was my third this year (second at home) but I'd only ever seen one before.  Other moths recorded were Bordered Carl Coptotriche marginea, Cypress Tip Moth Argyresthia cupressella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Meadow Case-bearers Coleophora mayrella, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, 4 Large Fruit-tree Tortrixes Archips podana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, 2 Yellow Oak Buttons Aleimma loeflingiana, 3 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 10 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, Common Cloaked Shoot Gypsonoma dealbana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, Triple-blotched Bell Notocelia trimaculana, 11 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streaked Grass-Veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 12 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 2 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, False Cacao Moth Ephestia unicolorella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, 4 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Common Emeralds, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 25 Riband Waves, Silver-ground Carpet, 7 Barred Straws, Barred Yellow, Common Pug, V-Pug, 2 Double-striped Pugs, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, Lilac Beauty, Swallow-tailed Moth, 4 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 2 Common White Waves, Common Wave, 3 Light Emeralds, Coxcomb Prominent, Buff-tip, 7 Rosy Footmen, 8 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, Cinnabar, Short-cloaked Moth, 2 Flames, Large Yellow Underwing, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, 2 Smoky Wainscots, 8 Brown Rustics, Small Angle Shades, Dark Arches, 21 Uncertains, 2 Mottled Rustics, Burnished Brass, 3 Beautiful Hook-tips, 3 Straw Dots, 6 Snouts and 4 Fan-foots.   There was also a Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis inside the house.

Gold Triangle Hypsopygia costalis, North Elmham, 22nd June

Bugs included another Macrotylus solitarius - the third for Norfolk after the one I caught the previous night.  Also a Stenotus binotatus with an unidentified mite on its right eye.  Caddisflies included Leptocerus tineiformis.

Macrotylus solitarius, North Elmham, 22nd June

Stenotus binotatus with mite, North Elmham, 22nd June