Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Flat-bodies (Depressariidae) (part 1: Semioscopis, Luquetia and Agonopterix)

FLAT-BODIES (DEPRESSARIIDAE)


Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana - 2 at the meadows and one in the garden trap, all on 22nd April 2019.  None in 2020.  I've only recorded this species at home once before, on 21st April 2018.

Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd April 2019

Dawn Flat-body Semioscopis steinkellneriana, North Elmham, 22nd April 2019

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella - 3 in the garden between 1st and 18th June 2019 but only one in 2020, on 15th June.  I do quite well for this species here with between 2 and 6 each year I've lived here up until the singleton in 2020.  2019 was the first time I recorded one anywhere else, though only just up the road at the meadows (on 23rd June).

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham, 1st June 2019

Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 23rd June 2019

Red-letter Flat-body Agonopterix ocellama - None.  I've recorded this species here twice (2016 and 2018).


Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea - One in my garden trap on 11th April 2020 was my third following records here in 2016 and 2018.  Then a day-flying one netted at the meadows on 2nd May and another netted (after dark) at Frost's Common on 21st May.

Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea, North Elmham, 11th April 2020

Small Purple Flat-body Agonopterix purpurea, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2020

Sallow Flat-body Agonopterix conterminella - None.  I've never seen this species and probably wouldn't have included it here as a species likely to occur here in future except that there were 2 records in central Norfolk in 2020 (Dave N in Dereham and Keith in Litcham).


Broom Flat-body Agonopterix scopariella - None.  I'm quite keen to see this species having had it on my list for a short while before realising I'd made a slightly embarrassing error.  There was quite a bit of Broom by the railway at the bottom of the meadows so I was quite hopeful, but chances have been reduced since the Mid-Norfolk Railway have decimated the Broom.


Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella - Singles in the garden trap on 17th April and 28th August 2019.  None in 2020, my first blank full year since moving here (1-3 records each other year).

male Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 17th April

Black-spot Flat-body Agonopterix propinquella - None.  I'm yet to see this here in North Elmham (my only record was from Bawdeswell in 2012).


Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella - 10 in the garden trap between 9th April and 16th June 2019 and another 3 between 22nd August and 12th September.  Slightly more in 2020 with a less obvious distinction between flight periods - 15 between 22nd April and 6th September.  Both fairly average showings.  Also 3 at the Cathedral Meadows on 22nd April and 15th September (2) 2019 and one at Whitwell Street in September 2020.

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 9th April 2019

Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana - 26 here between 25th January and 26th March 2019 then one on 25th May and 7 between 7th July and 14th August.  A total of 34 made it my worst year here, though 2 previous years scored 35 so not far behind, but 2020 was worse with only 15 - 11 between 16th February and 22nd April and 4 between 13th July and 8th August.  I suspect this is the bottom of cyclical fluctuation rather than a long-term decline, but if I had to pick a moth to go extinct then this would be pretty high up on my list of candidates...  Elsewhere a total of 43 at the meadows (mainly by torchlight and mostly in 2019) and 1 at Swanton Great Wood.

female Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana  North Elmham, 21st March 2019

female Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana  North Elmham, 26th March 2019

male Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana  North Elmham, 3rd August 2019

Large Carrot Flat-body Agonopterix ciliella - None.  I suspect this species has been massively over-recorded in the past and have checked every heracliana carefully for several years, dissecting the majority.  Having never found ciliella, even among the larger darker examples with pinkish underparts I have to conclude that this species isn't very common!  Now that it is deemed Grade 4 (dissection required to confirm the record) hopefully we will get a clearer picture of exactly how common or scarce it is.  I may have just been unlucky of course...


Dusted Flat-body Agonopterix assimillella - None.  I have only recorded this species once here (or anywhere), in 2017.


Straw Flat-body Agonopterix kaekeritziana - None.  I have recorded this species once here, in 2016.


Gorse Flat-body Agonopterix umbellana - None.  This is maybe the next most likely Agonopterix to be added to my local area list if not my garden list.


Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa - 2 at the meadows on 22nd August 2019.  Neither were particularly obvious, being quite worn and lacking the dark fringe, so I resorted to gen detting to confirm them.  Also one at Row Heath (West Runton) on 31st August 2019.  None in 2020.  I'd only seen one of these before, in my garden in 2017.

male Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

female Dark-fringed Flat-body Agonopterix nervosa, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana - One here on 9th April 2019 and then 5 between 27th July and 18th September 2020.  These doubled the number I've seen here since moving in in 2014 (2 in each of 2015 and 2016, singles only in 2017 and 2018).  One of the most attractive Agonopterix in my opinion, not that it has very strong competition.

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 9th April 2019

Brown-spot Flat-body Agonopterix alstromeriana, North Elmham, 18th September 2020

Angelica Flat-body Agonopterix angelicella - None.  Another one that I have a reasonable chance of recording locally (there is Angelica growing locally, including sometimes just below the meadows), but haven't done so yet.


Coastal Flat-body Agonopterix yeatiana - None.  Again, one that could turn up locally (despite its common name there are plenty of inland records too and there is Wild Carrot growing along the railway at the bottom of the meadows).  I'm yet to see it in Norfolk though...


Next page: more Depressariidae plus

Natterjacks, a new weevil and a rainbow halo

A birding trip to Burnham Overy on 1st May didn't produce many moths - just 2 Plain Fanners Glyphipterix fuscoviridella and a Cinnabar, though there was a caterpillar which I haven't yet been able to put a name to (maybe Garden Tiger but it doesn't look quite right to me).  Also Red Admiral, Small Copper and this Natterjack Toad.

Natterjack Toad, Burnham Overy Dunes, 1st May

unidentified caterpillar (possibly Garden Tiger?), Burnham Overy Dunes, 1st May

There was also a Limnephilus auricula (caddisfly) at Holkham.  Not many moths at home again that night but there were two new for the year: Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella and Knot Grass. The others were Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, Waved Umber, Muslin Moth and 3 Hebrew Characters.

Knot Grass, North Elmham, 1st May

Hawthorn Slender Parornix anglicella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 1st May

This weevil was on my front door (inside) in the morning - although I can't find any definitive statement that the dark line down the join of the elytra is a reliable identifier, all the images I've checked of other Strophosoma and similar species seem to lack it whereas it is apparently characteristic of Nut Leaf Weevil Strophosoma melanogrammum - a new species for me.

Strophosoma melanogrammum, North Elmham, 2nd May

Next day I returned to Burnham Overy where I saw another Natterjack in the dunes, and a Stoat.  Moths included Plain Fanner Glyphipterix fuscoviridella, Dusky Groundling Aroga velocella, Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana and 3 Cinnabars. There were 2 Small Coppers and the brown lacewing Hemerobius humulinus.

Natterjack Toad, Burnham Overy Dunes, 2nd May

Black-headed Conch Cochylis atricapitana, Burnham Overy Dunes, 2nd May

The most impressive natural phenonemon though was this 'glory' - a rainbow halo around my shadow as I walked down the seawall early in the morning.  I think it's also known as Brocken Spectre, though I'm not sure if that's exactly the same thing or not - more often seen in mountains apparently, though I suspect that has something to do with the way the shadow is thrown down a hillside which was sort-of the case here as I was on top of the seawall.

'Glory' or Brocken Spectre, Burnham Overy Dunes, 2nd May

Moths at home that night were Swallow Prominent, White Ermine, Muslin Moth, Clouded Drab and 4 Hebrew Characters, the White Ermine being new for the year.

White Ermine, North Elmham, 2nd May

The following night Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella and Red Twin-spot Carpet were new for the year.  There was also Little Dwarf Elachista canapennella, Swallow Prominent, Pale Tussock and 4 Hebrew Characters, plus the caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus and a Black Sexton Beetle.

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 3rd May

Red Twin-spot Carpet, North Elmham, 3rd May

The following night Scalloped Hazel was new for the year.  Other moths were 2 Red Twin-spot Carpets, Brindled Pug, Brimstone Moth, Swallow Prominent, Muslin Moth and 4 Hebrew Characters. Also the caddisfly Limnophilus sparsus and another Black Sexton Beetle.

Scalloped Hazel, North Elmham, 4th May

Chocolate-tip and friends

My first Small Copper of the year at Burnham Overy:

Small Copper, Burnham Overy, 1st May

Only 2 moths on Monday night, my first Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana of the year and a Hebrew Character.

Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana, North Elmham, 2nd May

Tuesday night was similar - my first Lesser Swallow Prominent of the year and a Hebrew Character.

Lesser Swallow Prominent, North Elmham, 3rd May

On Wednesday I had the day off and headed up to Burnham Overy where the only moth I saw was a Cinnabar.  Plenty of other insects though including Orange-tip and a handful of Small Coppers and Peacocks.  Also both Red- and Buff-tailed Bumblebees while other non-avian interest came in the form of Common Lizard and 2 Chinese Water Deers.

That night a couple of new moths for the year were Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, Brindled Beauty and the always awesome Chocolate-tip.

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 4th May

Brindled Beauty, North Elmham, 4th May

Chocolate-tip, North Elmham, 4th May

Only 3 other species though: Lesser Swallow Prominent, 3 Clouded Drabs and 4 Hebrew Characters. Another Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus was the only caddisfly in the trap.

Mottled Sedge Glyphotaelius pellucidus, North Elmham, 4th May

Next day I saw my first Green-veined White of the year on the patch, along with numerous Orange-tips (the only butterfly species that seems to be having a good year so far) and single Brimstone and Peacock.

I'll cover the moths for that night in my next post - best macro so far this year coming soon...

Herald a new start?

Saturday night's moths were few in number but included a couple new for the year: Chinese Character and Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella.

Chinese Character, North Elmham, 2nd May

Brindled Flat-body Agonopterix arenella, North Elmham, 2nd May

The others were fairly typical of late: Streamer, Brindled Pug, Common Quaker and 3 Hebrew Characters. 

Plenty of other insects in the trap too, among them 4 caddisflies.  I think the 3 smaller ones were Limnephilus auricula which I've seen before but the larger one I'm not sure about.  Think it might be Limnephilus binotatus - let me know what you think if you can do caddis.

Limnephilus auricula, North Elmham, 2nd May

probable Limnephilus binotatus, North Elmham, 2nd May

Another small Ichneumon-like insect was perhaps a Dyspetes sp. - let me know if you have any better idea.

possible Dyspetes sp., North Elmham, 2nd May

Last night (Sunday night) was more interesting!  Firstly the macros... there were only 3, but they were 3 new species for the year.  First up was a Pebble Hook-tip, an interesting-looking one as it was significantly paler than most I've seen.

Pebble Hook-tip, North Elmham, 3rd May

Next was a V-Pug, new for the house and always nice to see.

V-Pug, North Elmham, 3rd May

The third macro was even better.  A moth I rarely see - I saw 2 in 2001 before I was really into moths, only once at Bawdeswell (in 2009) and the only other I've seen was on Scilly in 2012.  Others see them more often, but I was pleased at last to see my fifth-ever Herald.

Herald, North Elmham, 3rd May

Even more remarkable given how this year has gone so far was the fact that I got more micros than macros last night.  3 species the same as macros but more individuals.  They were 2 Little Dwarfs Elachista canapennella, Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana and 2 Narrow-winged Greys Eudonia angustea.  The Eudonia angustea were new for the year - they used to be the last of the Scoparines to appear in any year with a much later flight period than other Eudonia and Scoparia species but in very recent years they've started having a second generation earlier in the year (well, a first generation I suppose, with the normal autumn one becoming the second).

Could this be the start of a new page in this year's so-far unimpressive mothing activity?  Different macros and more micros... let's hope things carry on like this!

I think this Caddisfly was Glyphotaelius pellucidus.

Glyphotaelius pellucidus, North Elmham, 3rd May