Reed Dagger Simyra albovenosa - None. I've not recorded this species locally and I'm well away from the strongholds for this species so haven't really been expecting to. However there have been a couple of records just down the road at Worthing so maybe there's a chance I will find it round here.
Alder Moth Acronicta alni - None. I seem to be a bit unlucky with this species as I've only ever seen 2, and they weren't local. It's common enough and is known to occur locally, so surely I'll find one locally some day.
Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens - None. I've caught 2 here, in 2016 and 2017, but this seems to be very much scarcer than Grey Dagger. I've gen detted some reasonable candidates for Dark Dagger that have turned out to be Grey.
Grey Dagger Acronicta psi - Having averaged 7 a year here over the previous 4 years it was a disappointment not to catch any in 2019. 2020 was a bit better with 4 between 1st and 12th August; also one at the meadows on 18th July.
male Grey Dagger, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 18th July 2020
male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 1st August 2020
male Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 8th August 2020
female Grey Dagger, North Elmham, 12th August 2020
Sycamore Acronicta aceris - One at Weybourne on 5th July 2019 and one at the meadows on 7th July. None at home, and none anywhere in 2020. I've only ever caught this species at home 3 times, all in 2015.
Sycamore, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th July 2019
Miller Acronicta leporina - None. I've caught these at home on 3 occasions (2015, 2016 and 2018).
Light Knot Grass Acronicta menyanthidis - One came straight in to the LED lights as soon as I put them on at Allt Mollach on Mull on 13th June 2019. This was a lifer for me - the species that has an extremely restricted range within Norfolk (but is much commoner in Scotland). Scottish specimens like this are of a paler subspecies than the ones that occur here in Norfolk.
Light Knot Grass, Allt Molach (Mull), 13th June 2019
Knot Grass Acronicta rumicis - One in the garden trap on 20th July 2019 and 5 here between 21st July and 13th August 2020. I've recorded this species here each year since moving in but I'd not had more than 4 in a year before. Elsewhere one at the meadows on 22nd August 2019 and 18th July and 7th August 2020.
Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019
Knot Grass, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th August 2020
Knot Grass, North Elmham, 13th August 2020
Poplar Grey Subacronicta megacephala - One in the garden trap on 2nd May 2019 was my earliest ever record. That was the only one I caught at home that year and in 2020 I had 2, on 28th May and 14th June. I had 16 in 2016 but that was exceptional - I've had 0-2 in every other year. Elsewhere 4 at the meadows between 17th May and 18th July and one at Bintree Wood. Although some examples are obvious I don't always find the identification of this species as easy as some recorders seem to - some examples of both Poplar Grey and Sycamore show reasonably prominent pale dorsal spots at the end of the cross-line such that there is overlap with Knot Grass in this character, and other characters seem to be quite variable and/or unclear. With a few individuals I resort to dissection to satisfy myself the ID is correct, and although they now usually end up being what I thought they were, this wasn't always the case when I started doing this.
Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 2nd May 2019
Poplar Grey, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th May 2020
Poplar Grey, Bintree Wood, 13th June 2020
male Poplar Grey, North Elmham, 11th August 2020
Coronet Craniophora ligustri - None in 2019 but 4 caught in the garden between 6th and 15th August 2020. Annual totals vary from 0-5 here.
Coronet, North Elmham, 6th August 2020
Small Yellow Underwing Panemeria tenebrata - A total of 8 at the meadows between 15th and 25th May 2019 (on 4 dates). This was the second consecutive year they were found here in reasonable numbers (2018 was the first year the site was surveyed) but none were found in 2020. Most were, as you would expect for a day-flying species, seen during the day but one was found by torchlight roosting on a leaf of the Apple tree.
Small Yellow Underwing, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019
Small Yellow Underwings, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd May 2019
Shark Cucullia umbratica - None. I've not yet found this species locally but it has been recorded in my road before so it's surely only a matter of time.
Chamomile Shark Cucullia chamomillae - None. This must be one of the most common and widespread moths that I've never seen. Hopefully I'll catch one someday and there's no reason why it shouldn't be local.
Mullein Cucullia verbasci - One caught in the garden on 23rd April 2020, my fifth here (the others all in 2016-17). Otherwise only larvae seen, but these were easy to find on the Mullein plants along the railway at the meadows - up to 20 between 21st May and 21st June 2019 and up to 18 between 15th May and 26th June 2020 (when there was also 2-3 on a solitary plant at the chapel). Covid may have helped this species in 2020 as the railway company usually spray the railway every year, completely destroying the Mullein before it flowers and while many of the caterpillars are still feeding. Presumably the caterpillars are destroyed along with plants. There was no spraying in 2020 though the company are apparently wanting to spray much earlier in 2021.
Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st May 2019
Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 6th June 2019
Mullein caterpillar, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 15th June 2019
Mullein caterpillars, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019
Mullein, North Elmham, 23rd April 2020
Next page: more Noctuidae
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