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.

Friday, 15 September 2017

Abnormal Antler Moth and Barred Rivulet

This Antler Moth was new for the year on Friday 4th August.  There can be a bit of variation in the pattern of Antler Moths but I don't think I've ever seen one before that completely lacked the oval mark.  It was a bit worn but I don't think that can explain it - there are dark scales present in the place where you would normally expect to see a pale oval (just above the pale kidney mark that is present as normal).

Antler Moth, North Elmham, 4th August


Other moths trapped that night were House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 2 Maple Buttons Acleris forsskaleana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, 26 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Garden Pebbles Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 2 Grey Knot-horns Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Small Fan-footed Wave, Single-dotted Wave, 6 Riband Waves, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Phoenix, Currant Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scorched Carpet, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Willow Beauty, Common Wave, 3 Dingy Footmen, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 5 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Common Rustic, Lesser Common Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y, 2 Spectacles and 12 Straw Dots.

Scorched Carpet, North Elmham, 4th August


Silver Y, North Elmham, 4th August


Another Licoris tripustulatus (mirid bug) was the most interesting other insect; a sub-imago Pond Olive Cloeon dipterum (mayfly) being the only other thing I recorded.

The following night was very poor - just 25 moths: Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 5 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Mother of Pearl Pleuroptya ruralis, Single-dotted Wave, 2 Riband Waves, Willow Beauty, Pale Prominent, Dingy Footman, Buff Ermine, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Small Square-spot, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Square-spotted Clay, Common Rustic, Spectacle and 3 Straw Dots.

The best moth on 6th August was a Barred Rivulet, a species I saw here shortly after moving in in 2014 but hadn't seen anywhere since then.

Barred Rivulet, North Elmham, 6th August


Other moths were Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, 2 Long-horned Flat-bodies Carcina quercana, Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, 2 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, 2 House Groundlings Bryotropha domestica, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Dark-triangle Button Acleris laterana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 10 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 6 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Dotted Oak Knot-horn Phycita roborella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Double-striped Pug, Coxcomb Prominent, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Shuttle-shaped Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwings, Setaceous Hebrew Character, White-point, Lesser Common Rustic, Vine's Rustic, Silver Y and 7 Straw Dots.

Among the caddisflies Ylodes conspersus was a new species for me and Lype phaeopa was new for the year.  There was also a Hydropsyche pellucidula along with Forest Bug and the sexton beetle Nicrophorus investigator.

Ylodes conspersus (female), North Elmham, 6th August


Lype phaeopa, North Elmham, 6th August


The following evening a wander round the local gravel pits looking for birds produced insects instead, some of which didn't bite me (although most did, it seemed).  Not many moths but among 3 Straw Dots was a tortrix which at first I took to be a Dichrorampha sp.  It was only when I went to dissect it a few weeks later and reviewed my photos that I realised it was something more interesting, and sure enough the dissection went on to confirm it - my first Pea Moth Cydia nigricana.

Pea Moth Cydia nigricana (male, gen det), Bittering, 7th August


This bug also proved to be a lifer - Plagiognathus chrysanthemi.


Plagiognathus chrysanthemi, Bittering, 7th August


A few interesting moths at home that night included a nice Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana and a Webb's Wainscot.

Notch-wing Button Acleris emargana, North Elmham, 7th August


Webb's Wainscot, North Elmham, 7th August


Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea was also new for the year and 3 Pale-streak Grass-veneers Agriphila selasela were notable.

Elbow-stripe Grass-veneer Agriphila geniculea, North Elmham, 7th August


Pale-streak Grass-veneer Agriphila selasella, North Elmham, 7th August


Other moths were Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Ash-coloured Sober Acompsia cinerella, Bulrush Cosmet Limnaecia phragmitella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, Two-coloured Bell Eucosma obumbratana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 14 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 20 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Beautiful China-mark Nymphula nitidulata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 3 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Blood-vein, 4 Single-dotted Waves, Common Carpet, Yellow Shell, Currant Pug, Brimstone Moth, Scalloped Oak, Pale Prominent, 2 Dingy Footmen, 3 Large Yellow Underwings, 4 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Rustic, Burnished Brass and 7 Straw Dots.

Heather Tortrix Argyrotaenia ljungiana, North Elmham, 7th August


Beetles consisted of Bradycellus verbasci and my first identified Pterostichus niger.  3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum represented the mayflies while caddisflies included Ithytrichia lamellaris and Hydropsyche siltalai.

Pterostichus niger, North Elmham, 7th August

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