Dark Sword-grass, Smut and new aphids for Norfolk that shouldn't be outside

A Dark Sword-grass was the unexpected highlight on 16th November, a migrant and only my second record from the garden trap.

Dark Sword-grass, North Elmham, 16th November

It was obviously a good night for migrants as there were also 4 Diamond-backs Plutella xylostella in there.   Other things were Garden Midget Phyllonorycter messaniella, Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea, Pale November Moth, female Epirrita sp., Scarce Umber, Dark Chestnut, the caddisflies Limnephilus lunatus and Halesus radiatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus and the leafhoppper Fagocyba cruenta.

Next day while birding at Burnham Overy I found this Natterjack.  It's remarkably well camouflaged on the sand, but it's shadow was easy enough to see!

Natterjack, Burnham Overy, 17th November

The only other non-avian thing noted there was a Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea flying through the dunes (hand caught by Paul).

There were only 2 moths in the trap at home, but they were nice ones: December Moth and Scarce Umber.

The following night there was Diamond-back Plutella xylostella, December Moth, 2 Winter Moths (the first of the winter in my garden) and the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus.

A nil return on 19th and Brick and Yellow-line Quaker on 20th.

This hoverfly Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax was flying at the meadows on 21st.

Common Dronefly Eristalis tenax, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

There were some nice fungi too, with thanks again to James Emerson for help with the IDs.  I particularly liked these Lilac Bonnets and Wood Blewits.

Lilac Bonnet, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Wood Blewit, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st November

Also that day, the distinctive little beetle Ptinus sexpunctatus appeared in my study - the third one I've seen this year and the second that's turned up in my study.  No moths that night though, nor the following night.

A warmer night on 23rd so I had a wander round the meadows with the headtorch.  I found a few moths: Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana and 6 Winter Moths.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Winter Moth, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I had recently seen tweets about the larvae of the two Psychoides species that breed on ferns and so decided to have a quick look for these.  With beginner's luck the first Hartstongue I checked had one on it!  I was satisfied that it was Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora.

larval covering and larva of Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

I retained the leaflet that this was on and took it home with me in the hope that the adult moth would emerge.  And on 18th February this appeared in the pot!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 18th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

I did notice a second clump of spores that I had wondered about as it seemed slightly out of place compared to the rest, but I decided it was nothing.  But in fact it must have held another larva because on 26th February another moth emerged!

Fern Smut Psychoides filicivora, 26th February, emerged from larvae collected from North Elmham Cathedral Meadows on 23rd November

They really are quite lovely little critters when they're fresh, and the first live ones I've ever seen (having found a dead one in the bottom of my garden moth trap in 2017).

As I was looking at the larva I noticed some aphids on the same bit of Hartstongue.  A little bit of online searching came up with an apparently good match, Black Fern Aphids Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  But I couldn't find out much information about the species, there weren't any records in the UK on the NBN Atlas and something I found suggested they only occurred indoors.  So I fired off an email to Jit Thacker, the county recorder for aphids.

For reasons unknown, Jit never received my email and so that was how I left it until I was catching up with records in the last few days.  In the meantime I have acquired a new book on aphids, so maybe I could progress this a bit more.  The book lists all the aphids known to occur on various plants, and for Hartstongue it only listed two species.  One looked nothing like these and the other was Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  Without the specimens adequately preserved I couldn't check the detail but they looked good - however the book reiterated what I had read, which is that in Britain and indeed the whole of northern Europe this species is only known from glasshouses and other indoor situations.

This seemed to warrant another attempt at contacting Jit, who this time received the email and responded promptly.  Off the back of this correspondence it sounded like I would need an adult specimen, preferably a winged individual (alate), to confirm the record - but that this was not to be expected as any colony was unlikely to have survived a British winter.

Well I had a careful look this morning and the colony HAD survived the winter (and I found another colony there too).  Still no winged alate, but the bigger unwinged individuals ticked all the boxes for Idiopterus nephrelepidis.  To confirm I took them through the full key, and sure enough I ended up at Idiopterus nephrelepidis.

Another email to Jit and this evening he has confirmed that they appear to be the first Norfolk record (albeit some old aphd records are missing), and perhaps also the first record of them overwintering outside!

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Black Fern Aphids Idioterus nephrelepidis, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May

Other things found that evening included Common Earwig Forficula auricularia, the green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea, the caddisfly Limnephilus lunatus, the mirid bug Pinalitus cervinus, the leafhopper Idiocerus herrichi, about 20 Oak Apple Gall Wasps Biorhiza pallida, Common Rough Woodlouse Porcellio scaber and the centipede Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus.

Idiocerus herrichi, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Oak Apple Gall Wasp Biorhiza pallida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Common Lithobius Lithobius forficatus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd November

Thanks again to James for confirming the ID of some Clustered Bonnets.

Very little in the garden trap that night: Light Brown Apple-moth Epiphyas postvittana, December Moth and 2 Winter Moths.  No moths at all the following night though - just a green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea agg.