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.

Sunday 10 September 2017

Hedgehog in the garden

I found this Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella in the house on Monday 24th July, my third in less than a year - not bad for a moth that was only twice recorded in Norfolk between 1874 and 2014!

Common Clothes Moth Tineola bisselliella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 24th July


That night (a windy one) was poor for moths with just Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, House Groundling Bryotropha domestica, 2 Timothy Tortrixes Aphelia paleana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, Many-plumed Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 14 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Common Grass-veneer Agriphila tristella, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 2 Chequered Straws Evergestis pallidata, 11 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Large Emerald, Blood-vein, Small Fan-footed Wave, 10 Single-dotted Waves, 6 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Early Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Pebble Prominent, Swallow Prominent, 2 Yellow-tails, 2 Rosy Footmen, Dingy Footman, 4 Common Footmen, Flame Shoulder, 2 Nutmegs, Dun-bar, 2 Uncertains, 3 Rustics and Nut-tree Tussock.

I did get a lifer though - a mayfly... Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus.

Pale Watery Baetis fuscatus, North Elmham, 24th July


Numerically it was a good night for mayflies but apart from the above there was no variety - just 13 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum.  Lacewings were represented by 2 Dichochrysa flavifrons and Caddisflies by Hydropsyche siltalai and 2 Limnephilus marmoratus.

The next night was even worse - just Woundwort Case-bearer Coleophora lineolea, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, 5 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, Large Emerald, Maiden's Blush, Blood-vein, 11 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 3 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 3 Scalloped Oaks, Peppered Moth, 3 Pebble Prominents, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, Ruby Tiger, Large Yellow Underwing and Dun-bar. Well there were some nice moths there I suppose, if not many species.  No mayflies, lacewings, caddisflies, bugs or beetles.

Wednesday 26th July was a bit better.  It started off during the day with perhaps my highest number of different butterflies seen in the garden on any one day - Large White, Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Meadow Brown and Speckled Wood, all but the last courtesy of the buddleia.

That night produced the first new moths for the year for 5 nights (crumbs, that's bad in July!) - Barred White Clothes Moth Nemapogon clematella, Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, Pebble Hook-tip and Maple Pug.

Barred White Clothes Moth Nemapogon clematella, North Elmham, 26th July


Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, North Elmham, 26th July


Pebble Hook-tip, North Elmham, 26th July


Maple Pug (male, gen det), North Elmham, 26th July


Other moths were Brown Birch Slender Parornix betulae, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Hawthorn Ermel Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, Dark Groundling Bryotropha affinis, 6 Cinereous Groundlings Bryotropha terrella, Orange Crest Helcystogramma rufescens, 3 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Hook-marked Straw Moths Agapeta hamana, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana (f. ferrugana), Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, 2 Dover Shades Cnephasia genitalana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Holly Tortrix Rhopobota naevana, Hoary Bell Eucosma cana, 2 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 20 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 4 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 10 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Chinese Character, Least Carpet, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 2 Riband Waves, Flame Carpet, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, Common Carpet, 2 Lime-speck Pugs, Currant Pug, Yellow-barred Brindle, Scalloped Oak, Willow Beauty, Pebble Prominent, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Swallow Prominent, Pale Prominent, Yellow-tail, Dingy Footman, Scarce Footman, Common Footman, 2 Ruby Tigers, 2 Shuttle-shaped Darts, 3 Flame Shoulders, Large Yellow Underwing, Nutmeg, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, Silver Y and Straw Dot.

A Turnip Sawfly was new for the garden and the bug Phytocoris varipes was new for the year.

Turnip Sawfly, North Elmham, 26th July


Phytocoris varipes, North Elmham, 26th July


Other insects included 3 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum (mayflies), 2 Dichochrysa flavifrons (green lacewings), Hydropsyche siltalai and Limnephilus marmoratus (caddisflies).

Butterflies at Burnham Overy on 27th included 4 Brown Arguses, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Wall Brown.  There was also a Stoat.

I've been seeing frogs in the garden most nights this summer but on 28th there was a Common Toad for a change.  It was an absolutely dire night for moths with just Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 3 Marbled Piercers Cydia splendana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, 4 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Large Emerald, 2 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Red Twin-spot Carpet, 2 Canary-shouldered Thorns, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, Lesser Swallow Prominent, Common Footman, Buff Ermine, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame Shoulder, Setaceous Hebrew Character and 2 Rustics.  Also a Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella in the house.

Next day (Friday 28th) was a substantial improvement, though not exactly great for July.  There were Carrion Moth Monopis weaverella, Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, Bird-cherry Ermine Yponomeuta evonymella, Cinereous Groundling Bryotropha terrella, 3 Dingy Dowds Blastobasis adustella, 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana, 3 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Marbled Piercer Cydia splendana, Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteuchia culmella, 13 Pearl Veneers Agriphila straminella, Little Grey Eudonia lacustrata, Small Grey Eudonia mercurella, 12 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Large Emerald, Blood-vein, 2 Least Carpets, 3 Single-dotted Waves, 4 Riband Waves, 3 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Carpet, Small Rivulet, Magpie Moth, Canary-shouldered Thorn, Willow Beauty, Poplar Hawk-moth, 2 Dingy Footmen, 2 Flame Shoulders, 2 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Nutmeg, 3 Dun-bars, Dark Arches, Slender Brindle, Common Rustic and 4 Straw Dots.

Cherry Fruit Moth Argyresthia pruniella, North Elmham, 28th July


There were also 5 Pond Olives Cloeon dipterum and a good selection of green lacewings: Chrysopa commata, 5 Chrysoperla carnea (2 confirmed males and 3 aggregate females), Cunctochrysa albolineata and 11 Dichochrysa flavifrons.  Also the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus, 3 Forest Bugs and the leafhopper Empoasca vitis.  As I was emptying the moth trap I was delighted to have this Hedgehog visit me, the first time I've seen one in the garden (though I've heard them before).  It soon shuffled off again when I started trying to take its picture.


Hedgehog, North Elmham, 28th July

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