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 14 December 2018

More Poplar Cosmets and an early Butterbur

One of the new moths I saw in the Waveney Valley on 10th July was Poplar Cosmet Batrachedra praeangusta.  I didn't expect to get my next record of this species quite so quickly, but in my garden trap the following night, 11th July, there were not only one but two Poplar Cosmets Batrachedra praeangusta!


Poplar Cosmets Batrachedra praeangusta, North Elmham, 11th July


There were a number of other new moths for the garden year-list that night, mostly micros: Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella (only my second here although I've seen a few elsewhere), Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella, Dingy Dowd Blastobasis adustella, Knapweed Conch Agapeta zoegana, Cereal Tortrix Cnephasia pumicana, Smoky-barred Marble Lobesia abscisana, Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella (just about annual here with single records in 2015, 2016 and 2017) and Campion.


Small Red Slender Caloptilia rufipennella, North Elmham, 11th July


Common Oak Case-bearer Coleophora lutipennella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th July


Smoky Marble Lobesia abscisana, North Elmham, 11th July


Broad-barred Knot-horn Acrobasis consociella, North Elmham, 11th July


Campion, North Elmham, 11th July


Other moths that night were 2 Fulvous Clothes Moths Tinea semifulvella, Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 6 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, White-headed Ermine Paraswammerdamia albicapitella, Hawthorn Ermine Paraswammerdamia nebulella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 3 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Triple-spot Dwarf Elachista maculicerusella, Golden-brown Tubic Crassa unitella, Small Dingy Tubic Borkhausenia fuscescens, Brown House Moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Cinerous Neb Bryotropha terrella, 4 Gorse Crests Brachmia blandella, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, 5 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, 3 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, 6 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Triangle-marked Roller Ancylis achatana, 2 Bright Bells Eucosma hohenwartiana, 4 Hoary Bells Eucosma cana, Red Piercer Lathronympha strigana, Many-plume Moth Alucita hexadactyla, 48 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 62 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 2 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 3 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, 2 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 4 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Pale Straw Pearl Udea lutealis, 20 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 3 Double-striped Tabbies Hypsopygia glaucinalis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Ghost Moth, Chinese Character, Blood-vein, 6 Small Fan-footed Waves, 14 Single-dotted Waves, 11 Riband Waves, 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, 4 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpets, 2 Large Twin-spot Carpets, Garden Carpet, Barred Straw, Scallop Shell, Dark Umber, Bordered Pug, V-Pug, Green Pug, 7 Double-striped Pugs, Small Yellow Wave, 5 Clouded Borders, 3 Brimstone Moths, 7 Early Thorns, 2 Scalloped Oaks, 3 Willow Beauties, Mottled Beauty, 2 Common Waves, 2 Poplar Hawk-moths, 11 Rosy Footmen, 25 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, 2 Buff Footmen, 51 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Flame, 4 Double Square-spots, Dot Moth, 3 Bright-line Brown-eyes, 3 Clays, 2 Smoky Wainscots, Marbled Beauty, 2 Dun-bars, 4 Dark Arches, Tawny Marbled Minor, 2 Common Rustics, 2 Lesser Common Rustics (and 2 further Common Rustic aggs.), 44 Uncertains, 4 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, 3 Nut-tree Tussocks, Burnished Brass, Spectacle, Beautiful Hook-tip, 3 Snouts and 2 Fan-foots.

Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 11th July


Dun-bar, North Elmham, 11th July


Other insects included the mayfly Pale Evening Dun Procloeon bifidum, a Common Earwig, the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea,the caddisflies 2 Hydropsyche siltalai and Leptocerus tineiformis, and the beetles Nicrophorus investigator, Black Sexton Beetle and Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva.

What may well have been a Pale Birch Pigmy Stigmella confusella would have been a new moth and the highlight of the garden moth trap on 12th July, except that I am currently unable to confirm the ID.  I do not have any reference material to compare the genitalia to (there are no pictures of the species' female genitalia on the Dissection Group website) but there is comparative reference material for most of the other feasible similar-looking Stigmella, and their genitalia doesn't match my moth's bits.  However, these are tricky and I don't think it would be safe to call this one just at the moment.


probable Pale Birch Pigmy Stigmella confusella (female), North Elmham, 12th July


Quite a few of the relatively small number of county records of Butterbur are undated, but of those that are dated the earliest is 20th July.  So a Butterbur here on 12th July was quite a surprise.  I had 3 Butterburs in the garden trap in 2016, the only ones I've ever seen before, and was to go on and see 3 again in 2018.


Butterbur, North Elmham, 12th July


There were a few other new moths for the year: Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella, Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella, Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella, Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, Nutmeg and 2 Slender Brindles, .  The finitimella was only my third, following singles here in each of the previous two years.  The chearophyllella was only my fourth here too, though I've had more of them elsewhere.

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 12th July


Pointed Slender Parornix finitimella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 12th July


Garden Lance-wing Epermenia chaerophyllella, North Elmham, 12th July


Summer Rose Bell Notocelia roborana, North Elmham, 12th July


Slender Brindle, North Elmham, 12th July


The rest of the night's 103 species of moth were 12 Bird-cherry Ermines Yponomeuta evonymella, 2 Ermine sp. Yponomeuta padella/malinellus/cagnagella, Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, 2 Clover Case-bearers Coleophora alcyonipennella, 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Long-horned Flat-body Carcina quercana, 2 Cinerous Nebs Bryotropha terrella, 2 Orange Crests Helcystogramma rufescens, London Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix Pandemis heparana, 4 Privet Tortrixes Clepsis consimilana, Large Ivy Tortrix Lozotaenia forsterana, Brown-barred Tortrix Epagoge grotiana, 3 Grey Tortrixes Cnephasia stephensiana, 3 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Maple Button Acleris forsskaleana, Viburnum Button Acleris schalleriana, 10 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 9 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Triangle-marked Rollers Ancylis achatana, Bud Moth Spilonota ocellana, 3 Many-plume Moths Alucita hexadactyla, 42 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 5 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 137 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, 3 Common Grass-veneers Agriphila tristella, 2 Pearl Grass-veneers Catoptria pinella, Common Grey Scoparia ambigualis, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, Elder Pearl Anania coronata, Dusky Pearl Udea prunalis, 19 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, 4 Rosy Tabbies Endotricha flammealis, Grey Knot-horn Acrobasis advenella, Ermine Knot-horn Phycitodes binaevella, Ghost Moth, Pebble Hook-tip, Chinese Character, 2 Buff Arches, Common Emerald, 2 Small Blood-veins, Least Carpet, 10 Small Fan-footed Waves, Dwarf Cream Wave, Small Dusty Wave, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 6 Riband Waves, Red Twin-spot Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, Barred Straw, July Highflyer, Scallop Shell, Dark Umber, 2 Small Rivulets, Sandy Carpet, 2 Green Pugs, 8 Double-striped Pugs, 3 Clouded Borders, 4 Brimstone Moths, 4 Early Thorns, Scalloped Oak, 2 Swallow-tailed Moths, Willow Beauty, Mottled Beauty, Engrailed, Clouded Silver, Poplar Hawk-moth, 14 Rosy Footmen, 19 Dingy Footmen, 2 Scarce Footmen, 2 Buff Footmen, 59 Common Footmen, 3 Buff Ermines, Flame, Flame Shoulder, 13 Double Square-spots, Bright-line Brown-eye, Clay, 4 Smoky Wainscots, Dun-bar, 6 Dark Arches, 2 Common Rustics, Lesser Common Rustic, Dusky Sallow, 30 Uncertains, 3 Rustics, Mottled Rustic, 2 Nut-tree Tussocks, 3 Straw Dots, 2 Snouts and 6 Fan-foots.

Dusky Sallow, North Elmham, 12th July


The only bug in the trap was a new species for me, Trigonotylus caelestialium.  Although Trigonotylus is a distinctive genus there are two very similar species; this one is distinguished by the very distinct red stripe through the 1st antennal segment (diffuse in T ruficornis).



Trigonotylus caelestialium, North Elmham, 12th July


Other insects included the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea, the caddisfly Limnephilus marmoratus, 2 Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulvas, 4 Lagria hirta and my first garden Hornet of the year.

The next day there was a Large White in the garden and a Common Wasp came to the Red-belted Clearwing lure.

There were far fewer moths that night with just 55 species.  These included two new for the year: Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana and Rosy Rustic.

Rosy Rustic, North Elmham, 13th July


The others were 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Common Yellow Conch Agapeta hamana, Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana, 2 Flax Tortrixes Cnephasia asseclana, Dover Shade Cnephasia genitalana (and another Cnephasia sp. that escaped), 4 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 2 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bright Bell Eucosma hohenwartiana, 8 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, 54 Straw Grass-veneers Agriphila straminella, Water Veneer Acentria ephemerella, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 5 Mother of Pearls Pleuroptya ruralis, Rosy Tabby Endotricha flammealis, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, Buff Arches, Least Carpet, 2 Small Fan-footed Waves, 2 Dwarf Cream Waves, 7 Single-dotted Waves, Riband Wave, Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet, Large Twin-spot Carpet, Shaded Broad-bar, July Highflyer, V-Pug, 3 Clouded Borders, Brimstone Moth, 2 Early Thorns, Purple Thorn, Scalloped Oak, Swallow-tailed Moth, Engrailed, 2 Common White Waves, Poplar Hawk-moth, 5 Dingy Footmen, Scarce Footman, 34 Common Footmen, 4 Buff Ermines, Double Square-spot, 2 Bright-line Brown-eyes, Clay, Dun-bar, 3 Dark Arches, 2 Slender Brindles, 2 Common Rustics, 25 Uncertains, 4 Rustics, Nut-tree Tussock, 2 Beautiful Hook-tips, Straw Dot and Snout.

Not many non-moths of note - the only caddisfly was Hydropsyche pellucidula and the only beetle was Lagria hirta.

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