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

Some new beetles

Antoher relatively good night on 18th February produced 2 new moths for the year: Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana and Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana. There were also March Moth, 2 Dotted Borders, Early Moth, Hebrew Character and 5 Chestnuts.

Rusty Oak Button Acleris ferrugana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 18th February

Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 18th February

The following night brought March Moth, 2 Pale Brindled Beauties, Hebrew Character, 4 Chestnuts and a Minotaur Beetle.

Minotaur Beetle, North Elmham, 19th February

There were only 2 moths on 20th but these included my first Satellite of the year (along with a March Moth).

Satellite, North Elmham, 20th February

A tiny beetle in one of the egg-trays turned out to be Bembidion obtusum, a new one for me.

Bembidion obtusum, North Elmham, 20th February

There were no moths in the trap last night but a Dotted Border on one of the windows.


I've also been looking at some more beetles I retained over last summer but couldn't resolve at the time.  This has produced a couple of new (for me) species taken at Warham Greens on 16th June: Amara apricaria and Curtonotus convexiusculus.  The two were rather similar-looking medium-sized ground beetles but one (the Curtonatus) was distinctly larger than the other and there were several differences under the microscope.  The Curtonatus is a coastal species.

Amara apricaria, Warham Greens, 16th June 2017

Curtonatus convexiusculus, Warham Greens, 16th June 2017

A new beetle, ichneumon and sawfly but little moth excitement

I haven't done any updates for a few days, largely because there hasn't been much to say - until last night.  More of that later, but here's a catch-up first of what's turned up in the trap since last Monday.  The highlights were 2 Ruddy Flat-bodies Agonopterix subpropinquella (23rd and 26th), my third and fourth ever and new for the year and a Lead-coloured Drab (27th).

Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, North Elmham, 23rd March

Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, North Elmham, 26th March

Lead-coloured Drab, North Elmham, 27th March

Here are the details of what I trapped each night:

• Last Monday 20th - 2 Common Quaker, 5 Hebrew Characters and a Chestnut.

• Tuesday 21st - March Moth, 2 Dotted Borders, 2 Common Quakers, 4 Hebrew Characters and 2 Early Greys.

• Wednesday 22nd - 2 Early Thorns, Oak Beauty, 3 Clouded Drabs, Twin-spotted Quaker, 6 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.

• Thursday 23rd - Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, Common Quaker, 10 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  Also a Varied Carpet Beetle in the house.

• Friday 24th - Oak Beauty, Dotted Border, Small Quaker, Common Quaker, 4 Clouded Drabs, 2 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey.  Also a Badger along the B1145 not far from Worthing.

• Saturday 25th - 6 March Moths, Brindled Pug (new for the year here), 5 Small Quakers, Common Quaker, Clouded Drab and 11 Hebrew Characters.  Also 8 Brimstone butteflies seen at 7 sites during the day and, at Alderford Common, I identified the sawfly Ametastegia glabrata for the first time and had flight-only views of my first Bee Fly of the year (presumably Dark-edged Bee Fly but I didn't confirm).

Agonopterix subpropinquella, Alderford Common, 25th March

• Sunday 26th - Ruddy Flat-body Agonopterix subpropinquella, March Moth, Oak Beauty, 7 Small Quakers, 4 Common Quakers, Clouded Drab, 10 Hebrew Characters and 4 Early Greys.  Also a Red Fox on the local patch.

• Monday 27th - Early Thorn, Oak Beauty, Small Quaker, Lead-coloured Drab, 3 Common Quakers, 4 Clouded Drabs, Twin-spotted Quaker and 8 Hebrew Characters.

• Tuesday 28th - Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, Common Plume Emmelina monodactyla, 2 Early Thorns, Oak Beauty, 2 Small Quakers, 2 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, Twin-spotted Quaker, 2 Hebrew Characters and Early Grey. Also the ichneumid wasp Ophion scutellaris, the first time I have identified this species.

Ophion scutellaris, North Elmham, 28th March

• Wednesday 29th - 3 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana, Dotted Border, 2 Small Quakers, 5 Common Quakers, 2 Clouded Drabs, 2 Twin-spotted Quakers, 3 Hebrew Characters and 3 Early Greys.  Also Common Earwig new for the year as were 3 Black Sexton Beetles.

Black Sexton Beetle, North Elmham, 29th March

Yesterday at Burnham Overy I saw my first Buff-tailed Bumblebee of the year.

 Buff-tailed Bumblebee, Burnham Overy, 30th March

In the evening I didn't have time to go far and set up moth-trapping properly (except in the garden of course) which is a shame as it was a good night.  I did have just enough time to wander round a couple of local sites with Dave looking for moths in torchlight.  It was pretty unsuccessful really - Shoulder Stripe at Creaking Gate Lake and March Tubic Diurnea fagella at Honeypot Wood, plus a few moths that we failed to catch and identify.  Lacewings were in evidence, all those that were identified being Chrysoperla carnea.

Chrysoperla carnea (male), Honeypot Wood, 30th March

The one thing that made the effort worthwhile was a new beetle species for me, Dromius quadrimaculatus.

Dromius quadrimaculatus, Bittering, 30th March

After that inauspicious start to the evening I was very pleased with the contents of my moth trap this morning... but I'll save that for another post.

Dave brought me a couple of moths that Andrew Duff had collected from Woodbastwick on 27th March.  One which he thought I'd be particularly interested in was an Agonopterix sp.  Its pattern resembled Agonopterix heracliana but could also be ciliella but the overall colour was extraordinary - strong pinkish tones especially along the sides of the forewings.  Agonopterix heracliana can show a few pink scales but I have never seen anything remotely close to this before. Anyway, I did the business and it proved to be a female Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana.  So not an unusual species but definitely an unusual appearance.

Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana (female, gen det), collected Woodbastwick by Andrew Duff, 27th March

Scarce Alder Slender Caloptilia falconipennella (female, gen det), collected Woodbastwick by Andrew Duff, 27th March

Another new beetle - Leistus spinibarbis

There are some excellent beetle identification resources available online nowadays so I now feel able to identify species that previously had been consigned to the "too difficult" category.  Last night as I checked the moth trap I noticed two ground beetles running around so potted one up for closer examination.  It proved to be my first, or at least first identified, Leistus spinibarbis.

Leistus spinibarbis, North Elmham, 19th February

Moths consisted of my first 2 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana of the year, Spring Usher, Dotted Border and Chestnut.

Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana (males, gen det), North Elmham, 19th February

Other insects included 4-5 Ophion obscuratus (an Ichneumid wasp).

5th Ladybird species of the year and Grey Shoulder-knot

1st March was one of the better nights this year so far with 9 moths of 6 species.  Of those only Clouded Drab was new for the year.

Clouded Drab, North Elmham, 1st March

The new dissection group wesbite is now up and running and with it come a greater selection of images of moth genitalia than were available before.  With greater quality images of Agonopterix ciliella to compare to I now feel more confident about confiming Agonopterix heracliana, though I would still like to see an example of ciliella under the microscope.  As expected, tonight's Flat-bodies proved to be 3 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana.

 Common Flat-bodies Agonopterix heracliana (males, gen det), North Elmham, 1st March

The other moths were March Moth, Dotted Border, Hebrew Character and 2 Chestnuts.

The following night there was just 1 Chestnut and then a run of nil returns followed, broken by a single Hebrew Character on 5th.

Not a moth, but another new ladybird for the year on 7th was this colourful 22-spot Ladybird.

22-spot Ladybird, North Elmham, 7th March

Finally on Tuesday the run of mothless nights ended with Common Quaker, Hebrew Character and Chestnut.  Wednesday night produced 2 March Moths and a Grey Shoulder-knot.  I don't see many of the latter, one or two a year usually.

Grey Shoulder-knot, North Elmham, 9th March

Also on 9th I found this midge in the house on one of the windows.  Thought it looked fairly distinctive and wondered if I could find enough information to identify it.  Turns out it's a bit of a window speciality - it was a Window Gnat Sylvicola fenestralis.

Window Gnat Syvicola fenestralis, North Elmham, 9th March

Next evening there was only one moth, but a nice one - Oak Beauty.

Oak Beauty, North Elmham, 10th March

Friday night produced 3 March Moths, Hebrew Characters and Chestnut.  Just 2 March Moths last night.

Tufted Button (aka Acleris cristana)

Things have been pretty slow on the moth front since last time I posted, but there has been a trickle of moths.  The stand-out highlight was a Tufted Button Acleris cristana - not a rare species by any means but my first. 

Tufted Button Acleris cristana, North Elmham 23rd February

Others new for the year were Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana on 22nd, Hebrew Character on 26th and March Moth on 28th.

Common Flat-body Agonopterix heracliana, North Elmham 22nd February

Hebrew Character, North Elmham 26th February

March Moth, North Elmham 26th February

Other moths recorded since my last post were:

• Sat 20th:  2 Dotted Borders and Early Moth
• Sun 21st: Dotted Border and Common Quaker
• Mon 22nd: Early Moth
• Tue 23rd: 2 Early Moths
• Fri 26th: Dotted Border and 2 Chestnuts
• Sat 27th: 2 Early Moths and Chestnut
• Sun 28th: Chestnut
• Mon 29th: March Moth, Hebrew Character and Chestnut