gobirding.eu Mothing Diary: A new moth, a new waxfly, a new snail and three new flowers

Monday 30th April was a foul day, wet and windy all day. I didn't venture out and, extremely unusually for me I didn't even open any windows. Yet I did record a moth inside the house, my first Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella of the year.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 30th April

There were no moths in the trap that night and only 4 on 1st May, but these included my first Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella of the year, and Muslin Moth and 2 Hebrew Characters.

Pointed Groundling Scrobipalpa acuminatella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

Waxflies can be frustrating as so many of them turn out to be female Conwentzia sp., a duo that can't definitely be told from one another (although the number of antennal segments has been suggested as a character). But they have reaped rewards and I've had two new species for Norfolk here so I always check them. On this occasion it was just another Conwentzia, but for the first time this one was a male, so my first fully-identified Conwentzia psociformis.

Conwentzia psociformis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

I headed back to the Cathedral Meadows first thing on 2nd and added Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella to the site moth list (one in each tetrad).

Common Oak Midget Phyllonorycter quercifoliella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

I returned in the evening and found 3 Red-brindled Dwarfs Elachista rufocinerea flying around the meadows.

Red-brindled Dwarf Elachista rufochinerea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

As it turned dark I found my first macro moth for the site, a Water Carpet. I also found Common Striped Woodlouse, Tree Slug and this snail which at the time I identified as Pelucid Glass Snail Vitrina pellucida. I know realise this ID was incorrect, though I'm not entirely sure what it was (updated November 2019).

unidentified snail, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Common Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

A couple of wildlfowers are species I hadn't previously identified, though I think they're both very common: Three-nerved Sandwort and Meadow Saxifrage. A third new species was the naturalised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Three-nerved Sandwort, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Meadow Saxifrage, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Abraham, Isaac and Joseph, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Are these Sulphur Tufts?

Sulphur Tuft?, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

The temperature was falling rapidly so it was no surprise to find few moths in the trap at home - just 3 Hebrew Characters in fact.

Next day the Large Red-belted Clearwing lure attracted the hoverfly Parasyrphus punctulatus, new for the year.

Parasyrphus punctulatus, North Elmham, 3rd May

That night saw Lesser Swallow Prominent and 2 Swallow Prominents, both new for the year, along with Early Thorn, Muslin Moth, Clouded Drab and Hebrew Character.