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.

Saturday 1 December 2018

Deraeocoris flavilinea on the wrong host?

The best moth on the night of 7th June was a Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana.  Others new for the year were Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, Willow Beauty and Shoulder-striped Wainscot.


Woodland Marble Orthotaenia undulana, North Elmham, 7th June


Willow Beauty, North Elmham, 7th June


Shoulder-striped Wainscot, North Elmham, 7th June


Other moths that night were Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, 3 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 7 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, 2 Treble Brown Spots, 3 Silver-ground Carpets, Garden Carpet, Common Marbled Carpet, Green Carpet, Freyer's Pug, Common Pug, Grey Pug, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, 2 Pale Oak Beauties, Common Wave, Light Emerald, 2 Coxcomb Prominents, Pale Tussock, 2 White Ermines, 4 Buff Ermines, 4 Cinnabars, 2 Heart and Darts, 4 Ingrailed Clays, 3 Setaceous Hebrew Characters, Shears, 2 Common Wainscots, Brown Rustic, Middle-barred Minor, 3 Treble Lines, 3 Mottled Rustics, Spectacle and 5 Straw Dots.  Caddisflies consisted of Hydropsyche pellucidula, Limnephilus lunatus, Limnephilus marmoratus (the latter new for the year) and there was the mirid bug Psallus varians and a Common Frog.

The following day I found a Cork Moth Nemapogon cloacella in the house, new for the year.  That night a Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana was the best moth in the trap - on average I only get one a year here.  Also new for the year was Treble-bar.

Carnation Tortrix Cacoecimorpha pronubana, North Elmham, 8th June


Also that night were Buff Rush Case-bearer Coleophora caespititiella, White-shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Plum Tortrix Hedya pruniana, Blotched Marble Endothenia quadrimaculana, 2 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, Hook-streak Grass-veneer Crambus lathoniellus, 4 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis, 4 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Common Swift, Cream Wave, 4 Treble Brown Spots, 8 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Marbled Carpet, Grey Pine Carpet, Broken-barred Carpet, 2 Green Carpets, 6 Common Pugs, Grey Pug, Clouded Border, Scorched Wing, Brimstone Moth, Light Emerald, Elephant Hawk-moth, 2 Orange Footmen, 2 Common Footmen, 5 White Ermines, 9 Buff Ermines, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, Common Wainscot, 4 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 2 Mottled Rustics, 3 Straw Dots, the caddisfly Limnephilus marmoratus and a new leafhopper for the year, Fagocyba cruenta.

Limnephilus marmoratus, North Elmham, 8th June


Fagocyba cruenta (female), North Elmham, 8th June


The next day I had to help the Mrs with something on her allotment and found a few insects while I was at it, including Common Marble Celypha lacunana, Silver Y, Straw Dot and 4 Harlequin Ladybirds (3 adults and 1 larva).  There were also two differnt types of bugs I didn't recognise among the currants.  Well, it turned out that they were all the same species - one adult and at least 4 nymphs, but they were a species I hadn't identified before: Deraeocoris flavilinea.  Interestingly this species is supposed to have sycamore and field maple as its host plants, though it is often encountered on other trees and shrubs.  I can't help thinking this must have bred on the currants though, with so many nymphs present there as well as an adult.


Deraeocoris flavilinea, North Elmham allotments, 9th June - adult above, nymph below

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