Regal Piercer

A wander round the Cathedral Meadows on 27th June produced a good variety of interesting insects including five I'd not previously recorded.  The best of these was a new moth, but embarrassingly I stuffed up the ID at the time.  No excuses for that as it's a distinctive species, but one that wasn't really on my radar and, having found this one on a Sycamore I shoe-horned it into the vaguely-similar Sycamore Piercer Pammene aurita.  Months later I happened upon a photo of a Regal Piercer Pammene regiana and realised immediately that this was in fact the moth I'd seen (these occur on Sycamore too).

Regal Piercer Pammene regiana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

There was also an Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana on some Hogweed.

Orange-spot Piercer Pammene aurana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Other moths were Garden Grass-veneer Chrysoteucha culmella, and the continuing larvae of the Small Eggars.  There was a good variety of butterflies including 50 Ringlets.

Ringlet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

 Quite a few dragonflies too, including one of my earliest ever Ruddy Darters.

Ruddy Darter, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Both Common Green and Meadow Grasshoppers were found, and surprisingly both were new species for me.  I've not a huge amount with grasshoppers in the past but enough that I should have recorded these two species before now.

Common Green Grasshopper, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Bugs included a creche of 48 Parent Bugs, final instars I think, and up to 8 Orthotylus adenocarpi, a new species for me.  I say up to 8 because I only checked one of them carefully.  They were all found on Broom but there are other very similar species occurring on Broom so it is possible that they were not all the same species.

Parent Bugs, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Orthotylus adenocarpi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

This beetle proved to be a Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus.

Common Malachite Malachius bipustulatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

A hoverfly turned out to be Cheilosia illustrata, another new species for me, and there was also a Hornet.

Cheilosa illustrata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

Hornet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

I really enjoyed the display of Musk Mallow in the wildflower meadow:

Musk Mallow, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

The Turkscap Lily was still looking good...

Turkscap Lily, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th June

That night at home the highlight was a Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, only my third ever and the first for my garden. It seemed to me to be a good year for this species because I went on to have another three, including two more in the garden, however by the time of writing there were only two other records in the Norfolk Moth Survey database this year which is less than usual.

Wood Groundling Parachronistis albiceps, North Elmham, 27th June

Lesser Cream Wave and Shaded Broad-bar were new for the year.

Lesser Cream Wave, North Elmham, 27th June

Shaded Broad-bar, North Elmham, 27th June

Other moths were Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Buff Mompha Mompha ochraceella, Hawthorn Cosmet Blastodacna hellerella, Plain Conch Phtheochroa inopiana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 2 Large Ivy Tortrixes Lozotaenia forsterana, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Yellow Oak Button Aleimma loeflingiana, 7 Barred Marbles Celypha striana, 4 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, Bramble Shoot Notocelia uddmanniana, 10 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 2 Inlaid Grass-veneers Crambus pascuella, Satin Grass-veneer Crambus perlella, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 3 Little Greys Eudonia lacustrata, 2 Small Greys Eudonia mercurella, 5 Small Magpies Anania hortulata, 4 Elder Pearls Anania coronata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, Bee Moth Aphomia sociella, 2 White Plumes Pterophorus pentadactyla, 3 Small Fan-footed Waves, 3 Dwarf Cream Waves, 5 Single-dotted Waves, 3 Treble Brown Spots, 9 Riband Waves, Garden Carpet, Yellow Shell, 6 Barred Straws, 2 Barred Yellows, Currant Pug, 2 Common Pugs, Double-striped Pug, Small Yellow Wave, 3 Brimstone Moths, Lilac Beauty, Willow Beauty, 3 Mottled Beauties, Engrailed, 2 Clouded Silvers, 4 Common Footmen, 8 Buff Ermines, 3 Heart and Clubs, Heart and Dart, 2 Large Yellow Underwings, Ingrailed Clay, 2 Double Square-spots, 2 Clays, Common Wainscot, 3 Brown Rustics, Treble Lines, 9 Uncertains, Mottled Rustic, Beautiful Hook-tip, 4 Snouts and Fan-foot, and there was one caddisfly, Hydropsyche pellucidula.