Beaded Chestnut Agrochola lychnidis - Totals of 37 caught here between 20th September and 5th November 2019 and 24 between 18th September and 19th October 2020, my worst years yet (although the 2020 total was reduced by me being away for a few nights in early October). Plotting my annual totals here gives me a smooth downward curve from the 84 here in 2014. Elsewhere 79 over 7 nights in Cornwall in early October 2020 and 2 at the meadows on 8th November 2020.
Beaded Chestnut, North Elmham, 18th September 2020
Beaded Chestnuts, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th November 2020
Brown-spot Pinion Agrochola litura - Singles in the garden on 3 consecutive nights 2nd to 4th October 2019. I caught 30 of these in 2014 but in the 5 years since then I've only caught 19 in total; 2020 was my first year without catching any at all.
Brown-spot Pinion, North Elmham, 2nd October 2019
Flounced Chestnut Agrochola helvola - None. I first saw this species in 2017 and that remains the only one I've caught here.
Red-line Quaker Agrochola lota - Totals of 10 in the garden between 2nd October and 2nd November 2019 and 24 between 22nd September (my earliest ever) and 7th November 2020. I've averaged about 11 a year here and 2020's total was my highest ever, and included my best count of 4 on 20th October.
Red-line Quaker, North Elmham, 2nd October 2019
Yellow-line Quaker Agrochola macilenta - Totals of 22 in the garden between 14th October and 27th November 2019, the last being my latest ever, and 17 between 17th October and 15th November 2020. These totals were a fair bit below the average annual total of over 35. Singles seen at the meadows on 5 dates from 4th October 2019.
Yellow-line Quaker, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019
Brick Agrochola circellaris - None here in 2019 but 5 between 2nd and 13th November 2020. I've had poor years before (e.g. just one in 2016) but 2019 was my first complete blank. I've caught up to 12 here in a year, averaging at 5. Elsewhere 9 at the meadows on 4 dates (mostly on Ivy) including 5 on 4th October 2019.
Bricks, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019
Brick, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 28th September 2020
Brick, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 30th October 2020
Lunar Underwing Omphaloscelis lunosa - Totals of 360 caught in my garden between 10th September and 14th October 2019 and 348 between 8th September and 20th October 2020, both over my average annual tally of 282. Elsewhere 316 in Cornwall in the first week of October (including 92 at our Tresidder cottage on 8th October). Incredibly, I haven't managed to find this species at the meadows yet.
Lunar Underwing, Tresidder (Cornwall), 7th October 2020
Chestnut Conistra vaccinii - My best years for this species at home with 58 up to 27th March 2019 and then 17 from 1st October to the year end, 27 up to 10th April 2020 and then 66 from 29th September to the year end (including a record 8 on 16th October). The totals of 75 and 93 compare with an average annual total of less than 60. At the meadows recorded on 12 nights with a total of 24. The record at home on 29th September 2020 and 4 at the meadows the same night were my earliest autumn records ever. So far 2021 is shaping up to be another excellent year for this species.
Chestnut, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd March 2019
Chestnut, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019
Chestnut, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019
Chestnut, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 8th March 2020
Chestnuts, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th September 2020 (the second being a confirmed male)
Dark Chestnut Conistra ligula - 5 caught in the garden in the first winter period of 2019, up to 23rd February, then 4 in the autumn between 21st October and 24th November followed by one on 13th February 2020. 5 between 2nd October (my earliest ever) and 21st December 2020. I average just under 7 a year here. Elsewhere one at the meadows on 4th October 2019 and one in Cornwall in October 2020. I find some Conistra quite difficult to be certain about and so dissect a few of the trickier individuals to confirm - the results suggest I'm being over-cautious as my suspected ID nearly always proves right, but I do occasionally get it wrong and sometimes think these are over-simplified, especially with worn examples.
Dark Chestnut, North Elmham, 22nd February 2019
Dark Chestnut, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 4th October 2019
female Dark Chestnut, North Elmham, 13th February 2020
female Dark Chestnut, North Elmham, 2nd October 2020
male Dark Chestnut, North Elmham, 16th October 2020
male Dark Chestnut, North Elmham, 21st December 2020
Dotted Chestnut Conistra rubiginea - None at home in either year. This species has very recently colonised Norfolk and is still spreading - I caught my first here in 2016 and a second in 2018. Elsewhere one at Cranwich Heath on 14th March 2020.
Dotted Chestnut, Cranwich Heath, 14th March 2020
Tawny Pinion Lithophane semibrunnea - None. This is a scarce species and I've never seen one, but it's pretty widespread so I remain optimistic that one will land in my trap sometime.
Pale Pinion Lithophane socia - Singles in my garden on 26th March 2019 (my earliest ever record) and 1st April 2020. The 2019 individual had one wing very much shorter than the other. This species isn't quite annual here though I average one a year.
Pale Pinion, North Elmham, 26th March 2019
Pale Pinion, North Elmham, 1st April 2020
Grey Shoulder-knot Lithophane ornitopus - singles caught in my garden on 17th October and 4th November 2019 and 18th October 2020. 1-2 a year is normal though numbers have varied from 0 to 4.
Grey Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 17th October 2019
Grey Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 4th November 2019
Grey Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 18th October 2020
Blair's Shoulder-knot Lithophane leautieri - One trapped in the garden on 28th October 2019. This recent colonist seemed to be going from strength to strength at the time I moved here and I caught 22 in my first autumn (2014). Since then it slumped - I caught 4 in each of the next 2 years, 3 in 2017 and none in 2018 or 2020. A temporary dip, as in the usual peak-and-trough cycle of insect populations, or a long-term trend signalling the end of a temporary colonisation? Time will tell, but I suspect the former.
Blair's Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 28th October 2019
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