A few new moths for the year, a new leafhopper & a new caddis

The night of Tuesday 26th September delivered 3 new moths for the year: Turnip Moth, Red-line Quaker and Beaded Chestnut.

Turnip Moth, North Elmham, 26th September

Red-line Quaker, North Elmham, 26th September

Beaded Chestnut, North Elmham, 26th September

Also recorded that night were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Garden Rose Tortrixes Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Small Dusty Wave, 2 Mallows, Common Marbled Carpet, Feathered Thorn, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Square-spot Rustic, Black Rustic, Brown-spot Pinion, 15 Lunar Underwings, 2 Frosted Oranges, Snout, 9 Limnephilus lunatus (caddisflies) and Aphodius rufipes (beetle).

The following day I was birding in the Brancaster area and saw 2 Common Nettle-taps Anthophilia fabriciana east of Brancaster, at least 20 Red Admirals and a Comma along Broad Lane and 2 Small Coppers on the golf course.  I also found a pale yellow leafhopper on the golf-course which I subsequently identified as Edwardsiana rosae, a new one for me.

Comma, Brancaster, 27th September

Edwardsiana rosae (male, gen det), Brancaster, 27th September

That night Ashy Button Acleris sparsana and Green-brindled Crescent were new for the year.

Ashy Button Acleris sparsana, North Elmham, 27th September

Green-brindled Crescent, North Elmham, 27th September

Other moths were 2 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, 3 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis (a record count!), Blood-vein, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, 2 Dusky Thorns, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, 2 Lesser Yellow Underwings, White-point, 5 Black Rustics, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, 5 Lunar Underwings, Pink-barred Sallow, 2 Sallows, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass and 5 Snouts.

There lots of lacewings and caddisflies.  Predictably at this time of year most of the caddisflies were Chrysoperla carnea (10 confirmed males plus a couple of unconfirmed females) but there was also a late Dichochrysa flavifrons among them.  I recorded this species well into September last year but this year although I had lots (53) over the summer this was my first since 2nd August.  The caddisflies were 2 Hydropsyche pellucidula, 8 Limnephilus auricula, 4 Limnephilus flavicornis, 2 Limnephilus marmoratus and 2 Limnephilus vittatus.

Other insects included another Pantilius tunicatus (bug), a Kybos sp. (leafhopper; probably betulicola but female smaragdula is indistinguishable) and an Aphodius rufipes (beetle).

Pantilius tunicatus, North Elmham, 27th September

The following night the moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Rhomboid Tortrix Acleris rhombana, 5 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Blood-vein, Common Marbled Carpet, 2 Brimstone Moths, 2 Feathered Thorns, Willow Beauty, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Black Rustic, Red-line Quaker, 4 Lunar Underwings and Frosted Orange.

The caddisflies were better, including one new for the year, Halesus radiatus, and one that was completely new to me, Limnophelus ignavus.  The others were 2 Mottled Sedges Glyphotaelius pellucidus, 3 Limnephilus affinis, 2 Limnephilus auricula and 4 Limnephilus lunatus.

Halesus radiatus (male), North Elmham, 28th September

Limnephilus ignavus (male), North Elmham, 28th September

No bugs or lacewings that night and Aphodius rufipes was the only beetle.

Next day this Brick was the only addition to the year list:

Brick, North Elmham, 29th September

There wasn't so much else that night: Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, 3 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Blood-vein, 2 Mallows, Black Rustic, Lunar Underwing, Pink-barred Sallow, Straw Dot and the caddisflies Limnephilus flavicornis and 5 Limnephilus lunatus.

On the final night in September I caught 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, a late Small Fan-footed Wave, Feathered Thorn, Willow Beauty, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Sallow, Straw Dot, Snout, the caddisflies Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, Grammotaulius nigropunctatus and 7 Limnephilus lunatus and the beetle Aphodius rufipes.

Small Fan-footed Wave, North Elmham, 30th September

October kicked of with Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Lesser Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character, 4 Black Rustics, 2 Beaded Chestnuts, Lunar Underwing, Frosted Orange, Burnished Brass, 2 Straw Dots, Snout, 1-2 Chrysoperla carnea (green lacewings) and Limnephilus affinis, 2 Limnephilus auricula, 4 Limnephilus lunatus and Limnephilus vittatus (caddisflies).